T he trade unions of South Korea’s two airlines, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, declared last week that they will refuse to transport any materials related to military intervention in Iraq.

Members of the Association of Airline Unions (AAU), which was founded by workers in both national Air carriers and employees of the Incheon International and Kimpo Airports decided along with the militant Korean Confederation of Trade Unions to oppose the despatch of Korean troops to Iraq. The workers claim they will launch an ‘all-out struggle’ against South Korean military intervention and will block the movement of all soldiers, armaments and other equipment if the airlines sign contracts with the Army agreeing to aid the Occupation.

The AAU have also threatened a complete shutdown of all air traffic to show their opposition to the war – which given the nature of Korean trade unionism is not one to be taken lightly!

Asiana Airlines and Korean Air bosses claim that they have not even begun negotiating with the military, and that the workers’ threats are premature.

• Fire Brigades Union member Brian Joyce visited Iraq in 2003, where war and sanctions left firefighters in appalling conditions. He saw that they had to fight fires wearing just sandals and moth-eaten boilersuits. So he came back to the UK where FBU branches donated uniforms and materials and last month returned to Iraq to show the grateful firemen how to use their new high-tech equipment.