Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, workers at 15 airports nationwide, including Incheon and Gimpo, have launched an indefinite general strike. Although there are currently no disruptions such as flight delays, prolonged industrial action is expected to cause chaos.
The National Airport Workers' Solidarity held a pre-strike rally at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 (T1) on the 10th, demanding a four-shift, two-team work system, additional staffing, and improved treatment for employees of subsidiary companies. On the first day, about 2,000 workers from various sectors-including environmental cleaning, traffic management, firefighting, mechanical facility management, and terminal operations-at airports nationwide participated in the strike.
Since the number of passengers using the 15 airports nationwide during the Chuseok holiday is expected to exceed a record 5.26 million, concerns have been raised that a prolonged strike could lead to a repeat of large-scale disruptions at airports.
Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation stated that they would work with their subsidiaries to minimize inconvenience for passengers. Incheon International Airport Corporation said in a statement, "Since this could directly affect public safety and convenience, and with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit just a month away, we must be fully prepared to welcome state guests. We urge workers to refrain from striking at this critical time."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
