EVA Air to give year-end bonuses, pay raises amid strike vote

Taipei-based EVA Airways said Monday that it will pay employees year-end bonuses equal to six months salary, the highest since the company was founded, at a time when some of its pilots are voting on a strike due to pay issues. The year-end bonuses, which will apply to employees at the airline and its subsidiaries, will be accompanied by an average monthly pay increase of NT$5,000 (US$160.77) for EVA Air's crew and ground staff and of NT$11,000 to NT$20,000 for pilots, depending on their rank. Employees will also receive a mid-year bonus next year, with the amount to be decided based on the annual profits made by their companies, according to the airline. EVA Air was able to offer the record bonuses because of the recovery of the global aviation industry in 2023 from the restrictions previously imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic that limited traveling. EVA Air pilots who belong to the Taoyuan Union of Pilots (TUP) started voting on Dec. 22 on whether to strike during the Lunar New Year holidays if the airline refuses to grant their demand for a structural pay hike.<br/>