South Korean airport workers to strike from Sept 19 to Oct 9, sparking concerns for travellers

SEOUL - A scheduled strike by unionised workers at 15 airports across South Korea has touched off concerns over possible inconvenience for passengers, particularly with a surge in air travel expected during one of the country’s biggest holidays in October.

Unionised workers at major airports in South Korea held a press conference on Sept 9 and vowed to stop work from Sept 19 until the Chuseok holiday, which ends on Oct 9. The participating workers are from the Incheon International Airport division of the Korean Public and Social Services and Transport Workers’ Union and the umbrella union for airports in South Korea, which have a combined 15,000 workers under their wings.

Their main demand is to change their shift schedule, which currently has three teams on two shifts, resulting in workers taking two consecutive day shifts followed by two consecutive night shifts to keep the airports running around the clock. Workers are demanding a rotating schedule divided into four teams to allow for more rest after night shifts.

Other demands by the unionised workers include an increase in airport personnel, particularly with an expansion of Incheon Airport having been completed in 2024.

“Our demand is the minimal conditions of a safe workplace and a safe airport. Unless the Incheon International Airport Corporation and the Korea Airports Corporation show indications of a change, we will go ahead with the strike on Sept 19,” the workers said.

An August study by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute indicated that the combination of shift work and night-time work can raise health risks by 53.1 per cent compared with those with regular working hours.

The participants of the upcoming strike are those entrusted with basic airport functions, such as the maintenance of facilities and runways. Air travel will not be shut down, given that it is legally required to continue even during strikes.

Chuseok, along with Lunar New Year, is one of the longest and most celebrated holidays in South Korea. The 2025 Chuseok is particularly long, as the usual three-day holiday comes just after the National Foundation Day, a two-day weekend and Hangul Day, amounting to a week-long holiday.

The 2025 Lunar New Year holiday saw 4.33 million people board planes throughout the 10-day holiday. Although airports during this period did not experience strikes and operated normally, each airport reportedly suffered delays of three to eight hours due to heavier passenger traffic, leading to concerns that a shortage of essential personnel in October could lead to even more severe delays. THE KOREA HERALD/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK