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June 9 CAL strike threat grows

June 9 CAL strike threat grows

CAL strike averted

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – A strike by China Air Lines on the first day of next month’s Dragon Boat Festival holiday became more likely as talks between cabin staff and the company foundered Friday.
The employees oppose a measure forcing them to appear for work at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport instead of at Taipei Songshan Airport beginning June 1. The two sides sat down with each other under the supervision of the Taoyuan City Bureau of Labor Affairs Friday, but no agreement was reached.
The representatives of the cabin staff said they would protest at the Ministry of Transportation and at CAL on May 31, and strike on June 9, the first day of the four-day Dragon Boat Festival, which is expected to be a busy time for airports and other traffic around the country.
The airline said it would start its new staff program on June 1 as scheduled, but it was expecting Taoyuan City to hand the dispute for arbitration to a neutral third party. CAL said it reached the decision after the professional union refused a second round of mediation by the city’s labor authorities.
Transportation strikes have been extremely rare in Taiwan. China Air Lines is the country’s largest traditional airline, though it can technically speaking not be considered as the national carrier.