EVA Strike Reveals the Tipping of Balance in Labor-Management Disputes

 EVA Strike Reveals the Tipping of Balance in Labor-Management Disputes

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

July 4, 2019

 Translation of an Excerpt

On July 2^nd, the Taoyuan City Flight Attendants Union once again held eleven-hour-long talks with EVA Air on stopping the flight attendant strike, in the end, still failing to successfully sign a collective agreement. With the two breakdowns of the arduous negotiations, the EVA flight attendants strike will continue to go into overtime, revealing the tipping of balance in labor-management disputes in Taiwan.

With the extension of the strike, different opinions gradually emerged among union members; however, the union at least in internal decision-making still strictly observes democratic majority rule. For instance, on June 29^th, when the strike entered crucial negotiations affecting its continuation or suspension, members voted to ascertain whether to continue the strike, and not members would decide on their own individually, avoiding divisions of the union. The majority rule of the union, plus vouchers signed after the decision to continue the strike, constituted a forceful bargaining chip in negotiating with management.

The management stance has been monolithic; after the decision to vote on the strike was taken, management did not lower its profile, seeking labor not to launch a strike, instead, it issued a "three nos policy": no pay raise, no year-end bonus, no offer of preferential fares, not minding that labor-management confrontation would become even more sharpened.

The Labor Ministry, the Ministry of Communications and Transportation, and the labor department of the local government have intervened in the strike negotiations, but virtually producing no effect. Especially, the approach of the government intervention has been wrong; in the meantime, it even created a tempest about Labor Ministry officials being dissatisfied with the highhanded and slanting stance of the Ministry of Communications and Transportation. The role of the government has met with questions, being generally considered to favor management; however, if the platform for labor-management dispute resolution is slanting, then wouldn’t the three labor laws be only decorations?

The active significance of launching strikes is to compel management to the negotiating table, seeking room of reform for terms and adjustments of labor. Both parties should proactively seek convergence toward a consensus; the purpose of negotiations is to seek a win-win situation. Both labor and management should understand the identity of a private utilities enterprise in the sector public; although theirs is a relationship of employer and employees, they are, however, partners in society, carrying on their shoulders an unshirkable responsibility on the part of both parties to maintain public interests.

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