Unionised workers at 14 airports suspend strike, Incheon airport walkout continues

Seoul, Oct 4 Unionised workers at 14 airports across South Korea decided to suspend their strikes on Saturday, but employees at the nation's main Incheon International Airport said they will continue their indefinite walkout, raising concerns of travel disruptions during the Chuseok holiday period.

The workers at the 14 airports said they will resume their duties through Oct. 14, when the presidential office is scheduled to meet with officials from the state-run Korea Airports Corp. for talks on the issue, reports Yonhap news agency.

"If the government and the relevant agencies fail to take responsible action after the talks, we will resume the general strike on Oct. 15," they said in a press release.

Unionised workers at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, will continue their full-scale walkout throughout the Chuseok break, which runs from Friday through next Thursday.

On Wednesday, around 15,000 unionised workers from 15 airports, including those in charge of runway repairs, firefighting and electrical maintenance, launched an indefinite strike.

The workers have demanded improved working conditions, such as more relaxed work shifts, vowing to strike until their demands are met.

Meanwhile, six out of 10 South Koreans do not plan to set up the traditional ancestor-honouring ceremony, known as "charye," during this year's Chuseok holiday, a survey showed Friday, indicating a shift in perceptions surrounding ancestral rituals.

According to the survey conducted by the Korea Rural Economic Institute (KREI), only 40.4 percent of respondents said they would prepare a charye table during the extended Chuseok holiday, which began Friday.

Charye is a traditional ancestral rite held during major holidays like Chuseok to honour deceased family members. It typically involves a formal table setting with various types of traditional Korean dishes and liquor offered in reverence.

The figure marks a significant drop from 2016, when 74.4 percent of respondents said they observed the ritual, the institute said.

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