Pilots plan strike at two South Korean airlines

Airline Industry Information, July 5, 2005

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

Pilots at South Korea's two major airlines plan to strike early this week, which could cause chaos during the high travel season, South Korea's Yonhap news agency has said.

Unionised pilots of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are demanding better welfare benefits, as well as the power to change their assistants and cabin crew members, the agency said.

The pilots at Asiana were threatening to begin a 24-hour strike at 0100 local time on Wednesday (6 July), reported The Associated Press. A spokesperson for the carrier said that Asiana plans to use its 299 non-unionised pilots to ensure that its 141 domestic and 133 international flights during the possible strike period operate as scheduled.

Unionised pilots at Korean Air were engaged in a "work-to-rule" action on Monday (4 July), in which they strictly followed the speed limit while moving on the ground at airports, apparently causing slight slowdowns. The length of the work-to-rule protest would be determined at a meeting on Tuesday (5 July), said the director of education at the union.

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