China Airlines cancels flights between Singapore and Surabaya over pilot strike

A China Airlines (CAL) check-in counter at the Taipei International Airport. CAL pilots went on strike on Feb 8, 2019, to demand better pay and working conditions. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

TAIPEI - China Airlines (CAL) has cancelled a total of 31 flights, including two flights between Singapore and Surabaya, due to a pilot strike over long working hours.

The strike, which began at 6am on Friday (Feb 8), has also forced Taiwan's main carrier to delay six other flights, based on information posted on CAL's website.

The flights affecting Singapore were CI751, bound for Surabaya on Saturday, and CI752, the return flight that had been scheduled for Sunday.

The Pilots Union Taoyuan, which organised the strike, was to attend a meeting later on Saturday with CAL management, meditated by Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the semi-official Central News Agency (CNA) reported.

The union, representing about 900, or 70 per cent, of CAL pilots, had voted last August for a strike to demand fewer working hours, transparency in the company's promotion and training system for co-pilots, among other issues, CNA reported.

The union reached a preliminary agreement with CAL management that consultation on the issues should be completed in a year. But it decided to start the strike early this month after labour disputes resurged and talks over the issues broke down.

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