Eastar Jet Union: "Layoff Trick Amid COVID-19"... Urges Withdrawal of Restructuring (Comprehensive)

Eastar Air Pilots Union "Immediate Halt to Layoffs"
Restructuring Plan Announced at This Morning's Labor-Management Meeting

[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 facing strong resistance from workers as it announces intensive restructuring plans.

The Eastar Jet branch of the Public Transport Union 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 in attendance.

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 Eastar Jet pilots' union joined the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Public Transport Union on the 23rd in protest against the company's policy and began active countermeasures.

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. Union member A said, "The company abruptly shut down operations under the pretext of COVID-19 without meeting the conditions for layoffs," adding, "They pretended to cooperate so that the management crisis would not seem real, but in the end, they are pushing employees out onto the streets without any measures."

At around 10:30 a.m. that day, union members gathered in front of Eastar Jet headquarters shouted slogans such as "Stop restructuring" and "Management, wake up," raising their voices in protest. Some union members wore 'Guy Fawkes' masks prepared in advance to conceal their identities. This mask, worn by the protagonist in the movie 'V for Vendetta,' was also worn by the Korean Air employee solidarity group during candlelight protests amid the Korean Air family’s power abuse scandal.

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

The union argues that the complete suspension of profitable domestic routes and the layoffs are a trick to increase the value of the acquired company ahead of the merger and acquisition (M&A) with Jeju Air. A union official said, "Despite social efforts to overcome the COVID crisis together and government support programs, Eastar Jet has not even applied for subsidies to maintain employee employment and has delayed wages for three months."

The union is particularly concerned that if aircraft with expired lease periods are returned additionally, the number of layoffs will increase. The union stated, "The Lee Sang-jik family, the de facto owners of Eastar Jet, and the Eastar Jet management should stop illegal and unfair restructuring and layoffs and resume operations," adding, "If layoffs are forced, we will continue indefinite condemnation rallies and struggles."

They also emphasized that since President Moon Jae-in declared that "protecting jobs is the key task to overcome the COVID-19 crisis," the government should prepare measures to stop the Eastar Jet layoff situation.

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