Taiwan’s China Airlines was forced to cancel at least 18 flights over the next few days as its pilots went on strike in the middle of the Lunar New Year.
Hundreds of the 1,300 pilots are reported to have joined the action over complaints of long work hours on long-haul routes and the refusal of management to make improvements in order to suppress costs.
“We chose this date to strike because we are left with no other choices. Since we announced on February 1 that we will go on strike, we were expecting a positive response,” union leader Chen Pei-pei said.
The union is calling for an additional backup pilot to be added to flights lasting 8 hours or more, a more transparent system of promotion, a year-end bonus and other concessions.
CAL has apologised for the disruption. “We deeply apologize to all the customers for any inconvenience about the pilots’ strike,” CAL said on its Facebook page. “Most colleagues in China Airlines still stay at their position and provide the best flight service.”