Fifteen ground service personnel at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport simultaneously took sick leave on Tuesday, delaying 11 VietJet flights at the facility.
According to Tuoi Tre, the workers’ absence was part of a strike to protest "long work hours, too much overtime and insufficient pay."
The employees, all responsible for check-in procedures for VietJet Airlines, were hired through Hanoi Ground Services (HGS), an outside contractor used by the carrier to supply ground personnel at the Hanoi airport. HGS supplies workers for a total of 25 domestic and international carries at Noi Bai.
The chain-reaction of events began at 2:30pm on Tuesday, when almost a third of the HGS ground service workers scheduled to process VietJet's check-ins at terminal T1 simultaneously called in sick. At that time, 15 flights were queuing for check-in, 11 of which were eventually delayed by the lack of staff.
HGS responded to the strike by visiting the protesting employees at home and coaxing seven of them into coming back to work. The remaining eight stayed on sick leave. HGS also called in off-duty workers in an attempt to fill the vacant spaces left by absent employees.
The company announced that it would cooperate with authorities to verify rumors concerning the recent episode. It will also create better contingency plans in order to maintain ground services at all times.
[Photo via lidovky]
