Last-minute deal averts pilot walkout

A last-minute agreement between Asiana Airlines management and the labor union has avoided a walkout by the pilots.

The Asiana Airlines pilots' labor union, led by chairman Park Jong-Ho, reached an agreement with management Wednesday at Asiana headquarters in the Osoi-dong area of Seoul with the management's acknowledgment and recognition of the pilots' labor union formation.

In exchange for the management's recognition of the pilots' union, the pilots have agreed to the increase of monthly off-duty days from four days to eight days, until 2002, when the new pilots would be recruited.

Also prevented was the planned walkout Friday by the Seoul Metropolitan Railway Transit labor union, led by chairman Kim Man-Hwa, through an agreement Wednesday for the supplemental recruiting of personnel and 5.5 percent pay raise.

Song Jin-Hup jinhup@donga.com