Airport workers strike across South Korea

ISTANBUL

Airport workers at 15 airports across South Korea, including the country’s main international hub Incheon, launched an indefinite strike Wednesday, local daily the Korea Herald reported.

The walkout comes just days before the Chuseok holiday in early October, when record passenger traffic is expected. About 2,000 employees — spanning sanitation, traffic control, fire safety, mechanical facility management and terminal operations — joined the action.

Workers are demanding a four-team, two-shift system to replace the current three-team, two-shift rotation, more staff hires and improved treatment for employees of airport subsidiaries.

While flights ran normally Wednesday, industry officials warned that a prolonged stoppage could cause major disruptions. At Incheon Airport alone, nearly 900 employees joined the strike. Authorities deployed 408 replacement staff to keep passenger check-in and flight operations running without major delays.

Officials cautioned that an extended strike might create serious bottlenecks, with 5.26 million passengers expected to pass through the nation’s 15 airports over the three-day Chuseok holiday.

Korea Airports Corp. and Incheon International Airport Corp. said they were working with partners and subsidiaries to minimize inconvenience for travelers.