Travel insurers are on standby as an ongoing labour strike has forced Taiwan’s EVA Air to cancel hundreds of flights.
According to the Straits Times, more than 640 flights will be cancelled this week, affecting over 100,000 passengers. Flights affected by the strike include destinations in North America, Europe, and Southeast Asia. The airline also said that it has suspended new bookings until June 29.
The strike, over per diem allowances, was announced by the airline’s flight attendants’ union last Thursday and striking employees have since been holding daily sit-in protests outside the airline’s headquarters near Taipei’s main international airport.
EVA Air union member Chao Chieh-huan told Straits Times that the strike was likely to be long-term since management was not yielding to demands.
“It’s not our purpose to affect flights,” said Chao. “We hope the management would soon launch a sincere dialogue with the union.”
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s transport ministry has set up an emergency taskforce to deal with the strike.
