Seoul Subway Union Secures Right to Strike... Concerns Over General Strike Next Month

Seoul Regional Labor Commission Mediation Meeting Suspended
Union to Announce Position on Tomorrow's Strike

The final mediation meeting between Seoul Metro and the labor unions ended without any results. As the unions have obtained the legal right to strike, disruptions to subway operations, which are the lifeline for Seoul citizens, appear inevitable.

Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

According to Seoul Metro on the 17th, the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission failed to reach an agreement during the final mediation meeting with the company and the joint bargaining group consisting of the Seoul Metro Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and the Seoul Metro Integrated Union under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU).

Earlier, the joint bargaining group, together with the third union, the Correct Labor Union, held a strike authorization vote from the 12th to the 16th regarding the '2023 wage and collective bargaining negotiation breakdown,' which passed with a 73.4% approval rate.

Seoul Metro and the joint bargaining group held a total of 10 negotiation sessions since the first main negotiation on July 11, but failed to narrow their differences, leading to a breakdown in talks on the 6th of last month. Subsequently, on the 4th, the joint bargaining group applied for labor dispute mediation at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission. With the strike authorization vote passed and mediation halted, the unions have obtained the legal right to strike.

The combined membership of the company union, the integrated union, and the third union organized in the joint bargaining group amounts to about 14,000 members. Considering that Seoul Metro employs approximately 16,300 people, this represents nearly 86% of the workforce. The 1,400 members of the third union, who do not yet have legal strike rights, have also announced plans for collective action.

The two major unions are taking steps toward a strike. At 10 a.m. on the 18th, the joint bargaining group will hold a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall to announce the strike D-day and their struggle plans. On the 19th, the company union will hold a general meeting of members, and on the 26th, the integrated union plans to hold an on-site executive meeting. Inside and outside the company, a general strike in early November is being anticipated.

The labor and management have been at an impasse over workforce reductions. The company argues that workforce reduction is inevitable for business normalization, considering the large-scale deficit. As of last year, Seoul Metro's accumulated deficit has ballooned to 17.608 trillion won. Accordingly, the company proposed reducing 2,211 employees by 2026, which corresponds to about 13.5% of the total workforce.

On the other hand, the unions oppose the company's unilateral workforce reduction plan. They argue that the plan, which centers on outsourcing work, will lead to safety risks and a decline in citizen services. The joint bargaining group stated, "This ignores the 2021 special labor-management agreement and the 2022 labor-management agreement, in which Seoul City promised no forced restructuring."

However, even if a strike occurs, the subway will not come to a complete halt. Since the introduction of the essential maintenance work system in 2008, the subway must maintain a minimum workforce of about 30% even during union strikes. Trains during rush hours will operate normally, and train operation rates during other times will be maintained at about 80-85% of usual levels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.