Incheon Airport packed as union launches strike
Unionized airport workers launched a one-day strike on Friday to demand better working conditions. Operations at Incheon International Airport and 14 other airports continued with no major delays.
About 1,700 employees from subsidiaries of the Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation took part. The unions seek a shift change from a three-team, two-shift system to a four-team, two-shift schedule. They also want fairer treatment for subsidiary workers.
Additional demands include shorter hours, more hiring and an end to what the unions call unfair parent-subsidiary contracts. They also urge scrapping the arbitrary use of successful bid rates and the “vacancy settlement” system of retaining pay during leaves to recoup personnel costs.
Although initially announced as a one-day strike that will end before Saturday morning, Jeong Ahn-seok, head of the Incheon International Airport chapter of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said that additional rallies and strikes could happen "if the desperate demands of workers for a safe workplace and a safe airport are ignored."
Although airport workers went on strike, there was no significant disruption at most airports, including Incheon.
At Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, some of the trash cans scattered throughout the third-floor departure hall were noticeably full, but it wasn't long before a worker arrived with a cart to collect the accumulated trash.
In preparation for the union strike, Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation established response systems to minimize passenger inconvenience and ensure uninterrupted airport operations.
Effective 6 p.m. Thursday evening, the crisis alert for consignment operations was raised from "caution" to "serious," strengthening monitoring and implementing various response measures to minimize inconvenience to airport users. Additional replacement personnel from both internal and external subsidiaries were deployed to ensure normal airport operations.
"Incheon International Airport Corporation will dedicate all its resources to cooperating with relevant organizations to ensure safe and uninterrupted airport operations," said the corporation's president, Lee Hak-jae. "We urge passengers to use the airport without worry."
Despite such reassurance from the airports' side, travelers remain anxious about the holiday rush. Some fear wider disruptions if the dispute drags into the Chuseok harvest holiday period. “I booked a plane to Da Nang [in Vietnam] during the holidays, and I’m worried I might miss my flight if this strike is prolonged,” said an office worker surnamed Jang.
This year's three-day Chuseok holiday, which will take place from Oct. 5 to 8, is expected to be more than a week long, with Oct. 3 being National Foundation Day and Oct. 9 falling on Hangul Day. The Incheon International Airport Corporation had previously predicted that due to the increase in airport users during the Chuseok holidays, the amount of visitors to the airport would amount to a total of 76.3 million people this year.
Passengers using airports during the strike will likely need to arrive earlier than usual. Airport officials recommend arriving four hours before departure for domestic flights and five hours before departure for international flights.