"Taking Advantage of COVID-19 for Layoff Tricks"... Eastar Airlines Union Takes to the Streets

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Pilots of Eastar Jet have launched an off-site protest against the company's layoff policy. The aviation industry, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, is announcing intense restructuring, leading to strong resistance from workers.

The Public Transport Union Eastar Jet Branch held an anti-layoff rally on the morning of the 27th in front of Eastar Jet headquarters in Banghwa-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, with 200 union members attending.

Eastar Jet is expected to announce a restructuring plan through a labor-management council meeting on the same day, which includes laying off 22% of its employees. According to the company's business report, the total number of regular employees is 1,473. Including non-regular workers, the total reaches 1,620. Approximately 350 employees are expected to be laid off.

The union claims that the complete suspension of domestic routes, which are profitable, and the layoffs are a trick to increase the sale price during the merger and acquisition (M&A) with Jeju Air. The union is particularly concerned that if aircraft with expired lease periods are returned additionally this year, the number of layoffs will increase.

Park Yi-sam, chairman of the Eastar Jet Pilots Union, warned, "If layoffs are enforced, we will continue indefinite condemnation rallies and struggles." They also urged the government to prepare measures to stop the Eastar Jet layoff situation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.