Taipei, June 24 (CNA) EVA Airways announced Monday after a shareholders' meeting that it plans to recruit about 200 flight attendants later this year, including males, for the first time in the company's history.
While all EVA Air's 4,200 flight attendants are currently female, EVA President Clay Sun said it will introduce new cabin crew, including foreign and male flight attendants.
There will not be any difference between jobs for male and female flight attendants, and they will be paid at the same rates, Sun said.
The move came against the backdrop of an ongoing EVA Air strike in which some 2,000 flight attendants have participated, leading to cancellations of 911 flights between Monday and Friday.
The company said the strike since June 20 had incurred a loss of NT$600 million (US$19.4 million) as of June 23, adding that it will announce adjusted flight schedules for July on June 26, but indicated no compromise with the union.
Asked how the company plans to deal with the impasse, Sun said EVA Air will endeavor to ensure "sustainable operations to support all of its 20,000 employees."
Sun said there will be more communication between top management, including himself and EVA Chairman Steve Lin , and grassroots employees.
During the shareholders' meeting, EVA Air posted earnings per share (EPS) of NT$1.5 for last year, and issued NT$0.5 in cash dividends per share and NT$0.3 in stock dividends per share.
