Asiana Pilot Union Calls "Integration and Treatment Improvements Abnormal"... To Discuss Protest Intensity at December General Meeting

December 9-10 In-Person General Meeting of Former Union Members
Criticism Over Non-Disclosure of Employment Security PMI After Integration

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Asiana Airlines Pilots Union will prepare countermeasures to improve workers' treatment through a general meeting of union members scheduled for December.

According to the aviation industry on the 25th, the Asiana Airlines Pilots Union will hold its 2021 regular general meeting in person for all union members over two days, December 9-10. At this meeting, the union plans to discuss issues related to the Korean Air-Asiana integration process by the government and the Korea Development Bank, which are the company's higher decision-making bodies, as well as improvements in workers' treatment.

The Pilots Union recently claimed that despite continuing profitable management based on air cargo performance, the treatment of workers who shared the pain of the COVID-19 crisis has still not improved. The company recorded sales of 1.7168 trillion KRW and operating profit of 83.6 billion KRW in the first half of this year, with cargo sales reaching 708.2 billion KRW, an increase of about 11% compared to the previous year.

The union also pointed out that the Korea Development Bank has not disclosed the ‘Post-Merger Integration Plan’ (PMI), which specifies employment guarantees after the integration of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. The union criticized this as an intention by the Korea Development Bank and other integration decision-makers to pave the way for future restructuring of Asiana Airlines. They added that the government’s employment retention subsidies were not paid at a level proportional to the company’s size.

The Pilots Union stated, “Although we have verbally agreed several times through labor-management working-level consultations to restore the collective agreement and improve the rest system, the company remains silent,” and added, “At the December in-person general meeting, we plan to determine the level of struggle against the government and the Korea Development Bank through a vote by all union members.”