Seoul subway workers vote for strike plan

The possibility of a strike became reality, as a majority of Seoul Metro union members voted for a general strike plan to counter staff cuts, the collective negotiation team announced Monday. As Seoul Metro operates Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8 and a portion of Line No. 9, tensions are rising over the possible inconvenience to commuters.
The collective negotiation team -- comprising representatives of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Federation of Korean Public Trade Unions under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions – said that 73.4 percent of the workers approved the strike plan. The vote took place from Thursday to Monday.
Out of 14,049 union members, 11,386 people, or 81 percent, participated, with 8,356 in favor.
Seoul Metro and the collective negotiation team had conducted 10 rounds of negotiations since the initial round on July 11, but all discussions eventually collapsed. The negotiation team applied for mediation with the Seoul National Labor Relations Commission on Oct. 4. The commission is to hold a mediation meeting Tuesday and suggest a compromise for both parties.
If the mediation meeting fails to reach an agreement, the collective negotiation team will hold a press conference warning of the possibility of a general strike at 10 a.m. on Wednesday in front of Seoul City Hall. A general meeting of union members to discuss the strike plan is scheduled for Thursday.
A workforce reduction plan is the major issue between the management and union. With Seoul Metro having suffered massive deficits for years, management contends it is inevitable to reduce manpower. The management proposed a plan to reduce 2,211 employees, or 13.5 percent of total workers, by 2026.
The labor union criticizes the management as passing responsibility for the deficit to workers, adding that excessive manpower reductions could directly lead to safety issues.
Earlier, the union held a general strike for the first time in six years against Seoul Metro's workforce reduction plan on Nov. 30, 2022.
The strike caused mass confusion, delaying trains on Seoul Subway Line No. 2 for 33 minutes. Police personnel were deployed to crowded stations to prevent possible accidents. Negotiations concluded a day after the strike as Seoul Metro promised not to conduct forced restructuring to overcome its financial crisis.
相关文章
'Apgujeong Box Girl' sparks online debate
A woman walking around in a box in southern Seoul's popular Gangnam has sparked criticism onlin2023-12-10LS Cable inks partnership for Vietnam submarine cable market
South Korea’s top wire and cable maker, LS Cable & System Asia, has secured a partnership with a Vie2023-12-10대통령실 “UAE 대통령 방한 순연”…이스라엘·하마스 충돌 영향
아랍에미리트(UAE)를 국빈 방문 중인 윤석열 대통령이 지난 1월 17일(현지시간) 두바이 자빌궁에서 셰이크 무함마드 빈 라시드 알막툼 UAE 총리 겸 두바이 군주와 면담하고 있다2023-12-10- 김행 여성가족부 장관 후보자가 5일 서울 여의도 국회에서 열린 인사청문회에서 의원들의 질의를 듣고 있다. 뉴스1더불어민주당은 12일 김행 여성가족부 장관의 후보자 자진 사퇴에 대해2023-12-10
Celltrion partners with US pharmacy chain for Yuflyma sales
Celltrion Healthcare, Celltrion's distribution unit, said Monday it has signed a deal with US s2023-12-10Lightsum's new album ‘Honey or Spice’ tickles tastebuds
Cube Entertainment’s K-pop girl group Lightsum returned to the music scene with its second EP, “Hone2023-12-10
最新评论