Pilots Union Taoyuan Chairperson Lee Hsin-yen (right)

Taipei, Feb. 14 (CNA) Pilots from China Airlines (CAL) will end their strike that began on Feb. 8 after union representatives sign a collective agreement with the airline, according to Pilots Union Taoyuan Chairperson Lee Hsin-yen (李信燕) late on Thursday.

The announcement came after 11 hours of negotiations that day, during the fourth round of talks between the pilots union and CAL.

Lee said the union acknowledges the goodwill extended by CAL President Hsieh Shih-chien (謝世謙) during the talks and will announce an end to industrial action once lawyers from the two sides confirm the agreement.

According to Deputy Labor Minister Liu Shih-hao (劉士豪) earlier Thursday, management and labor reached agreement on issues left unresolved from the previous three rounds of talks, agreeing to a "peace treaty" that prevents retaliation against union members involved in the strike and stipulates that future labor disputes shall be dealt with through arbitrations instead of strike action.

A press conference has been scheduled for 10 p.m, at which time an official announcement ending the strike is expected.

According to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the country's main gateway, 12 CAL flights will be canceled on Friday, affecting 1,998 passengers.

On Thursday, CAL canceled 23 flights, about 10 percent of its full transport capacity, affecting 3,400 passengers.

(By Lee Hsin-Yin)
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