 Hundreds of flights have been cancelled |
The South Korean government has warned it will intervene to end a crippling strike by pilots at the country's second largest airline. The strike at Asiana Airlines entered its 20th day on Friday with the government threatening to invoke emergency powers to end the stoppage.
The government has set a deadline of Sunday for a resolution or else it will force pilots back to work.
More than 250 international flights have been cancelled during the dispute.
Executive powers
About 400 pilots walked out on 17 July, setting out a number of demands such as more rest days, a rise in the compulsory retirement age from 55 to 58 and greater input into the airline's business strategy.
The strike has severely disrupted domestic and international flights and forced the airline to cancel all cargo flights.
Asiana says the stoppages have affected 45,000 passengers and cost an estimated 200bn won ($198m, �110m).
Talks resumed between the airline and unions on Friday against a backdrop of a government imposed deadline for staff to return to work.
Ministers have said they will invoke rarely used emergency powers, designed to safeguard industries considered critical to the national economy, to end the strike.
Staff would be forced to return to work for a 30-day cooling-off period and during that time the dispute would be referred to a labour commission.
Unpopular action
The body would have the authority to force the sides into compulsory arbitration and settle the dispute in the public interest.
These executive powers have only be used twice before, in 1969 and most recently in 1993 to end a strike at Hyundai Motors.
"Both parties are going to have to show more flexibility than before," union spokesman Lee Hack-ju said on Friday.
The strike has little public support because it has disrupted services at the peak of the holiday season.
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Both parties are going to have to show more flexibility than before
