Incheon Airport Cart Union: "Regularization of Cart Workers Must Be Achieved Quickly"

Members of the Incheon Airport Branch of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, are holding a press conference urging the regularization of cart workers. Photo by Junhyung Park, Intern Reporter

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon, Intern Reporter Park Jun-hyung] Cart workers at Incheon International Airport, affiliated with the Public Transport Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), held a press conference in front of the Blue House Sarangchae on the 9th, urging the conversion of cart workers to regular positions. Cart workers were excluded from the target group during the conversion of irregular workers to regular positions at Incheon International Airport.

At the press conference held in front of the Blue House fountain on the 9th, the union stated, "Cart workers at Korea Airports Corporation performing the same duties as Incheon International Airport cart workers have been regularized," and claimed, "Cart workers were excluded from the Incheon International Airport regularization process because their workplaces were under lease contracts."

According to the union, following President Moon Jae-in's declaration of regularization in 2017, all cart workers affiliated with Korea Airports Corporation, whose work is continuous and regular, were converted to regular positions under subsidiaries. In contrast, cart workers at Incheon International Airport performing the same work remain subcontracted laborers.

They also argued that cart work should be classified as 'continuous and regular work.' Kim Tae-in, Vice Chairman of the Public Transport Workers' Union, said, "Cart work continues for more than nine months a year and will persist for the next two years," adding, "There is also legal basis for the conversion to regular positions."

Cart workers who participated in the press conference said, "Pulling heavy carts and walking 35,000 steps a day is clearly an essential airport task," and raised their voices, stating, "Cart workers have been the main contributors to making the world's number one international airport for 12 years." After the press conference, the union submitted a petition with these contents to the Blue House.

Meanwhile, not only the cart branch but also members of the Detention Waiting Room branch attended the press conference. Like the cart workers, detention waiting room workers were also excluded from discussions on regularization at Incheon International Airport.

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