Korean Air (KAL)has suspended four of its captains for attempting to form a union.
The airline denies that the latest attempt to form a union arose from pilots' fears about training reforms at the airline, introduced after a string of crashes in recent years. The carrier has embarked on a $30 million contract with Flight Safety Boeing, aimed at tightening up cockpit crew training and evaluation. "The majority of the pilots welcome the contract," says KAL.
Political and security tensions with North Korea mean that KAL pilots are considered as "security officers", and are prevented by law from forming a union.
Source: Flight International
