Seoul Metro Labor-Management Agreement Reached... "Continued Dialogue on Management Rationalization"

Seoul Metro announced on the 21st that it has reached a final agreement on the 2023 wage and collective bargaining with the combined negotiation team of Union 1 and Union 2. After more than five hours of negotiations on the day, the labor and management reached a tentative agreement on key issues around 9:25 PM. Accordingly, the Seoul subway will operate normally on the 22nd.

On the 9th, when the labor union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions at Seoul Metro Corporation began a two-day warning strike from 9 a.m., a notice regarding train operations was posted on the platform of Seoul Station on Subway Line 1. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

The company and the union combined negotiation team have held a total of 11 negotiation sessions (4 main negotiations and 7 working-level negotiations) since the first main negotiation on July 11 this year.

The main points of this agreement include ▲the labor and management will discuss and promote the reinforcement of personnel in areas requiring safety staff ▲both sides agree that management rationalization is an unavoidable reality for the sustainable survival of the company and will continue to seek promotion plans through ongoing dialogue ▲the labor and management will jointly request Seoul City to support the labor costs required for expanding the scope of ordinary wages ▲the labor and management will discuss and prepare reasonable operational plans regarding working hours exemption for union activities during working hours, cooperation during work, and unpaid union leave system ▲continuous promotion of improving employees’ working conditions such as the construction of the Jichuk Vehicle Depot and preparation of radon measurement and reduction measures to protect the health of underground space workers.

In addition, significant progress has been made on issues long requested for institutional improvement by the Board of Audit and Inspection and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Specifically, ▲wages will be paid during suspension periods due to work-related negligence ▲during suspension from position, 80% of the base salary will be paid, but for suspensions related to bribery, entertainment acceptance, embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds, hiring corruption, sexual crimes, and drunk driving, only 50% of the base salary will be paid ▲employees with more than five years of service will receive full pay only if they have worked at least 15 days in the month of retirement.

Furthermore, labor and management agreed to jointly strive to become a public transportation institution that prioritizes citizen safety, environment, and public interest on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Seoul subway opening next year, and to prepare various morale-boosting measures for employees through consultation between labor and management.

Baek Ho, President of Seoul Metro, stated, “I sincerely apologize for the great inconvenience caused to citizens due to the two-day warning strike on the subway on the 9th and 10th, and I approached the negotiations with determination to prevent a second strike,” adding, “Labor and management will unite their efforts to restore the trust and love of citizens lost due to the strike and devote themselves to improving subway safety and service.”

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