Travel chaos averted as airport staff settle on overtime

Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, Incheon, is crowded with outbound travelers, Sept. 27. Yonhap

Security screening workers at Incheon International Airport have agreed to work overtime during the Chuseok holiday, reversing an earlier plan that had raised fears of travel chaos at Korea’s busiest gateway.

The two unions representing Incheon International Airport security employees said Thursday they would carry out scheduled overtime from Oct. 3 to 12, when more than 2.4 million passengers are expected.

The groups had previously announced they would reject extra shifts as a form of protest against what they called management’s “union suppression” and insufficient staffing.

Because security screeners are legally barred from striking, the overtime refusal had been seen as a way to exert pressure during the peak travel period. But the last-minute reversal means security checks at Incheon’s passenger terminals are expected to run normally.

A union official said the outstanding labor issues will instead be discussed through future negotiations.

While the immediate risk of congestion has eased, unrest continues across the country’s airports. Since Wednesday, about 2,000 subcontracted workers handling cleaning, traffic control, firefighting and mechanical maintenance at 15 airports have been on strike, though flight operations remain unaffected.