Korean on strike

[flyguykorea]

Read all about it here: http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005120722461211960.htm

The current record here stands at 25 days, obtained by Asiana pilots earlier this year. I bet the government won't even let it get close to that this time around.

[arewenearlythereyet?]

I some silly comments were removed by the mods. At least the Korean pilots have the cojones to actually go on strike instead of just whingeing about it like most of the so called "militants" on here. :rolleyes:
53% of Korean Air Flights to Be Cancelled Thursday

By Lee Hyo-sik, Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporters

A pilot strike at Korean Air, the nation’s largest airliner, is expected to cancel more than half of 387 scheduled flights Thursday...

...The unionized pilots went on strike, as the 11th-hour negotiations with management collapsed over wage increases and working conditions, raising concerns about mass flight disruptions.

The strike by the pilots of South Korea’s largest air carrier will likely cause major disruptions to air transportation for the second time this year, following a 25-day walkout by unionized pilots of Asiana Airlines in July.

It is expected to not only disrupt the country’s air traffic during the peak winter holiday season, but also deal a serious blow to the economy and the export industry.

The Ministry of Labor indicated yesterday that it would consider invoking the power to conduct emergency arbitration if the strike starts having a negative impact on the economy.

The arbitration mandates workers to return to work and bans the union from taking any form of collective action for 30 days.

On Tuesday, about 80 percent of union members voted in favor of striking with 83.8 percent of the 1,344 unionized pilots participating in the vote. The union said 897 of them said "yes" to the strike plan.

Union representatives and management held last-minute negotiations Wednesday but failed to settle their differences, ending a dozen rounds of negotiations since Oct. 17.

"Despite a series of talks to avert the strike, the union has decided to launch this action, because management keeps sticking to its initial offer," said Park Byung-ryul, spokesman of the Korean Air Flight Crew Union.

The union has demanded a 6.5-percent hike in wages and flight allowance with a 50-percentage point increase in employees’ bonus.

But the company is offering a 2.5-percent pay raise and a 50-percentage point bonus increase, a compromise proposed by the National Labor Relations Commission on Dec. 2.

"It is nonsense for the company to refuse to raise wages and flight allowances for its pilots while earning record-high profits." Park asserted.

He added that the union is willing to engage in future negotiations with management to end the strike.

"But if management keeps repeating its earlier position and fails to come up with a new offer, we have no other choice but to continue the strike," Park said.

But Korean Air said that despite handsome profits reported this year, it is not in a position to accept the union’s demands due to a series of external negatives, such as surging oil prices, affecting the airline industry.

"We have already paid each pilot 11 million won ($10,500) in bonus in June and what the union is asking is too excessive with regard to the company’s financial situation," said Oh Seok-joong, official at the public relations division at Korean Air.

"Also, if we accommodate all their demands, then flight attendant and mechanics unions will follow suit. We cannot meet all their demands," he added.

The company officials are concerned that the strike would have a significant impact on its services during the high demand winter vacation period.

Oh said that once the union stages a full-scale strike, the company will probably have to reduce the number of domestic and international flights by 70 percent as it can mobilize only 600-700 non-unionized pilots.

"Such a scenario will inevitably disrupt the flight schedules for many travelers, having a negative impact on the travel industry," he said.

The strike is also expected to disrupt the shipments of export-bound items, including cellular phones and semiconductors.

In July, unionized pilots of Asiana Airlines walked out for 25 days, demanding a wage increase and an improvement in working conditions.

The strike, the longest ever in Korea’s aviation history, had a negative impact on the export industry and disrupted the country’s air traffic during the peak summer holiday season. It ended after the government invoked its power to conduct an emergency arbitration.

[Wangja]

The story here in Seoul is that KAL pilots are striking not just for pay and conditions but also against increasing the level of English required.

[flyguykorea]

The story here in Seoul is that KAL pilots are striking not just for pay and conditions but also against increasing the level of English required.

Striking against an international standard requirement? Surely they won't think that one will get far...?

[manincrz2937]

Hey~ Wangja.


Where did you get that information?

I didn't find any article on newspaper.

As far I know, this is a payment negotiation not working condition.

Can you tell me your source?

[flyguykorea]

Yes, press here in Seoul is not reporting any issues over English proficiency.

According to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper: "Rumor has it that the hidden reason for the strike is a union demand to restore a number of fired pilots to their jobs."

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200512/200512080018.html

From what I've heard, that rumor appears fairly accurate.

[ALV2500]

In 2001, The pilots of Comair ( Delta connection) were on strike for 89 days.

It was interesting !

AL

[coco-nuts]

No wonder there are so many ads being placed in Flight International for Korean. I sinerely hope they get what they are after.

[flyguykorea]

Government has now stepped in and forced striking pilots to return to work. Both sides have a 15 day cooling off period to work out a resolution.

Full article can be read here:

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200512/kt2005121117092211950.htm