According to the aviation industry on Monday, the Air Premia pilots union filed a mediation request with the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission. The move followed a strike-authorization vote held Jan. 29, which passed with 83.8% support (62 votes), and came after final talks with management broke down Monday morning. The union has sought better pay, saying wages have been frozen for years.
The union was initially reported to have demanded an 8.3% increase in total wages. It later revised its proposal, seeking raises only for first officers at pay grade step 4 or below and retroactive application of increases since October 2024, but management rejected it. The union will make a final decision on whether to strike after a 14-day mediation process.
Shin Dong Hun, head of the Air Premia pilots union, said consumer prices rose 24% over the past five years, cutting real wages. “The 8.3% we proposed is about one-third of the inflation rate,” he said, adding that management is focused on cutting costs despite what he described as significant union concessions.
The risk of strikes has been rising across the airline industry this year. Earlier, the Air Busan pilots union sought mediation with the Busan Regional Labor Relations Commission after wage talks for 2025 broke down. The union demanded a 13% increase, citing pay levels at Jin Air, which is set to be merged, while management offered 3.7%, leaving the sides far apart. Pay gaps between airlines have emerged as a key issue in mediation requests.
According to the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, Air Busan employees’ average pay through June last year was 36 million won, or 81.8% of Jin Air’s 44 million won.
Airlines’ reluctance to raise wages comes amid a weak business environment, with a strong exchange rate, fuel-cost burdens and intensifying competition weighing on profitability. The industry believes most carriers, except full-service carrier Korean Air, posted operating losses last year.
An Air Premia official disputed the union’s claim of a wage freeze, saying annual pay has risen steadily since 2023 as pay steps were adjusted. The official also said pilots’ pay increases have outpaced those of other employees even as the union prepares for a strike.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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