TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Many Evergreen Airline Services Corp. (EGAS) employees staged a walk-out protest on Sunday (Jan. 1) to protest against the comparatively low year-end bonuses they would receive from the company, delaying tens of departure and arrival flights at Taoyuan International Airport due to understaffed ground support services.

According to EGAS’ website, the company provides airport ground handling, laundry, and office cleaning services.

EGAS' employees would receive only one month's salary as their year-end bonuses. However, employees of Evergreen Group's more lucrative companies would receive much more than that.

Evergreen Marine Corp. would give out year-end bonuses to its employees equivalent to 45 months’ salary, and EVA Airways Corp. would pay an extra three months' salary to its staff as their year-end bonuses, CNA reported. 

According to Taoyuan International Airport Corp. (TIAC), as of 11 a.m., 31 departure flights (including 24 passenger flights and seven cargo flights), as well as 16 arrival flights (including 13 passenger flights and three cargo flights), had been delayed by EGAS employees’ walk-out on New Year’s Day, affecting a total of 4,155 passengers.

TIAC said it had formed an emergency response team and invited companies including EGAS and EVA Air to discuss how to deal with the situation, per CNA.