[Interview] Song Siyoung, Chairman of the Proper Labor Union at Seoul Metro: "The Transport Union Strike Is a Political Struggle"

"Strike Should Be a Last Resort
Management's Proposal Did Not Warrant a Strike
Pursuing Mutual Growth with Reasonable Demands
Gaining Public Support Is Essential"

"Even when wages were frozen in 2021, we did not go on strike. This strike appears to be nothing more than a political struggle."

Song Siyoung, Chairman of the Proper Labor Union at Seoul Metro. Photo by Dongjoo Yoon doso7@

Regarding the warning strike by the Seoul Metro Labor Union (Transport Union) on November 9-10, Song Siyoung, Chairman of the Proper Labor Union at Seoul Metro, made these remarks in an interview with Asia Economy on November 9. Chairman Song stated, "A strike should be a last resort," and added, "The final proposal presented by management during the last round of negotiations included wage increases and additional hiring, so there was no justification for a strike. This can only be seen as a political strike."

Seoul Metro employs a total of 17,000 people and operates as a multi-union workplace with three unions. Among them, the Transport Union, affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Public Transport Workers' Union, is the largest with 10,000 members. The second-largest union, the Seoul Metro Integrated Union (Integrated Union), is affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) Public Federation and has 2,700 members. The Proper Labor Union, the third union, has 2,000 members. Chairman Song established the Proper Labor Union in 2021, emphasizing the need for a "union for its members," with a focus on workers in their 20s and 30s, and is currently working to establish a healthy union culture.

Chairman Song criticized the current warning strike, pointing out that the Transport Union has not taken action to promote labor-management cooperation. He argued that the union has neglected to address the fundamental causes of Seoul Metro's deficits, such as workforce reduction and fare increases. Song stated, "Currently, subway fares do not even cover half of the transportation costs, yet the Transport Union remains skeptical about fare adjustments, which is one of the main causes of the operating deficit."

Chairman Song also stressed the need for an efficient approach to workforce reduction. He said, "The conversion of contract workers to regular positions in 2018 increased labor costs, and the number of employees in core job categories has decreased, leading to greater inefficiency. Seoul Metro is not a cleaning or catering company. We need to discuss converting these workers to regular employees of subsidiaries. This does not undermine job security, and if they become regular employees of subsidiaries, their retirement age would increase by five years, among other benefits, so I believe this is something that can be discussed with those affected."

Chairman Song believes it is time to reconsider the radical collective actions of existing unions. He said, "Collective actions that inconvenience citizens only serve to foster negative perceptions of labor movements. The same goes for illegal and violent rallies," adding, "The reason unions are now seen as political groups rather than gaining public sympathy is because of this. Ultimately, this has been detrimental to union members as well." He continued, "Nowadays, even if the KCTU goes on strike or holds a protest, citizens neither know nor care about the reasons behind it. Union members should unite to make reasonable demands to management, but also pursue actions that foster mutual growth and public support."

He also speculated that the Integrated Union ultimately decided not to participate in the warning strike due to a "lack of justification." The Integrated Union had initially planned to join the strike with the Transport Union but announced on the morning of the strike that it would not participate. Song said, "Justification is crucial for a strike. After seeing management's proposal, I believe they decided there was not enough justification for a strike."

Chairman Song stated that although his union is taking a different path from existing unions, he is not opposed to dialogue. He said, "I founded the Proper Labor Union because I felt that existing unions were not focused on their fundamental role of defending workers' rights," adding, "Although I do not see much possibility for improvement, if they truly change, I am willing to engage in dialogue even now."

Unlike the Transport Union and Integrated Union, the Proper Labor Union does not yet have bargaining rights. Chairman Song is preparing to secure bargaining rights in order to negotiate for the mutual benefit of the company and its members. He said, "The Proper Labor Union will not be able to avoid protests or strikes of any kind," but added, "Once we obtain bargaining rights, we will legally engage in collective action to remind management and the public of the injustices that drive us to take such action. We will strive to focus more on the fundamental goals of collective action."

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