AIRLINE STRIKE: Spokeswoman seen as the driving force behind strike action

By Huang Li-hsiang  /  Staff reporter

Taoyuan Flight Attendants Union (TFAU) spokeswoman and flight attendant Huang Hui-chen (黃慧甄) is regarded by union members as the driving force behind the strike at China Airlines (CAL) which began at midnight on Thursday.

It is the first time that flight attendants have taken industrial action over working conditions.

The union, which has more than 2,500 members working at CAL, on Tuesday voted to go on strike after talks over working hours, subsidies and where personnel are to clock in broke down.

Huang, 35, said she has a one-year-old daughter and has been working at CAL as a flight attendant for 11 years, adding that working conditions at the company have worsened over the years.

Huang said that the CAL Employees’ Union had ignored workers’ complaints about working conditions, leading to protests over red-eye flights and overtime, which proved to be ineffective.

She said that last year, TFAU chairman Chao Kang (趙剛) and 29 CAL Employees’ Union leaders and members, including herself, left the union and established the TFAU to fight for workers’ rights.

Huang said she had not expected the TFAU to go on strike, but CAL management chose to use dishonest means rather then communicating with the union.

Although TFAU members had mixed feelings when deciding to go on strike, the decision showed that the flight attendants are extremely displeased with the airline’s management team, she said.

Since flight attendants took to the streets on May 30, CAL management only negotiated with the TFAU once at the request of the Ministry of Labor, Huang said, adding that the strike did not occur because the union organized it, but because CAL left the flight attendants no other choice.

Huang said the flight attendants are sorry for causing such an inconvenience to the public.

Huang has been a prominent figure during the protests, standing in the front and leading the protesters shouting slogans.

She used to wear a mask and cap when participating in the protests, she said, but added that now she has the courage to face the media while fighting for workers’ rights.

Huang has not considered whether she would be punished for pursuing justice for aviation workers, as there is no other option and no way to back down, she said.