Asiana Airlines executives and striking pilots met again Saturday to try and end a three-week long walkout. The government has vowed to use special powers to end the dispute unless the two sides reach a solution this weekend. The pilots, in the 21st day of their strike, have presented a wide range of demands, including fewer flying hours, a greater say in management decisions and an increase in the retirement age. Both sides have offered concessions, but they haven't been enough to end the worst aviation strike in the country's history. Labor Minister Kim Dae-hwan on Wednesday warned that the government is prepared to use its rarely invoked emergency powers to end the walkout if no conclusion is reached this weekend. Under the measures, Asiana's union would have to immediately stop the strike for 30 days. The step has been used to quell strikes in sectors considered critical to the national economy. The government has only invoked the powers twice: in 1993 during unrest at Hyundai Motor Co. and in 1969 at Korea Shipbuilding Corp. Asiana President C.B. Park and other top executives have for the past several days been trying to persuade union officials to end the strike, holding talks in a mountainous area in central South Korea where the pilots have established a base. --mor 1319 Local Time 1019 GMT
