Seoul Subway Strike Intensifies... Union's Last-Minute Negotiations Today

The Seoul subway union will engage in last-minute negotiations on the 5th, one day before the announced general strike. President Yoon Seok-yeol's declaration of martial law on the 3rd briefly became a variable, but the union maintains that if negotiations fail, the strike will proceed as planned.

According to the Seoul Transportation Corporation labor-management relations on the 5th, the final main negotiations will begin at 4 p.m. at the headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, starting with the Seoul Transportation Corporation Union (1st Union) affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). This will be followed by the Seoul Transportation Corporation Integrated Union (2nd Union) affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) at 4:30 p.m., and at 5 p.m., the 'MZ Union'?the Correct Union (3rd Union)?will hold their main negotiations. If delayed, negotiations are expected to continue until late at night.

On November 20, when the Seoul Metro Workers' Union, operating subway lines 1 to 8, began a compliance strike, citizens were waiting for the subway at Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 in Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

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Among these, the 1st and 3rd Unions have stated that if final negotiations break down, they will begin a general strike on the 6th. A representative of the 1st Union said, "We held a meeting the day before regarding the situation including martial law, but we reaffirmed that the planned strike steps will proceed." The 3rd Union also expressed regret over the martial law situation but stated, "Even if negotiations fail and we enter a general strike, we will exclude political motives and act solely for employees' wages and welfare."

In the case of the 2nd Union, a vote among members from the 2nd to the 4th resulted in a final rejection of the strike, with 1,258 out of 2,615 members (48.1%) in favor, so they will not participate in the strike. According to current law, a union's industrial action requires the approval of the majority of its members.

Unions 1 through 3 commonly demand higher wage increases than the employer's proposal. The employer proposed a 2.5% wage increase, while the 1st Union demands 6.6%, the 2nd Union 5.0%, and the 3rd Union 7.1%. Additionally, the 1st Union opposes the reduction of the corporation's workforce and the introduction of a 'one-person operation system' on Line 2 trains. The 3rd Union argues that sufficient new personnel must be hired considering the number of retirees and long-term vacancies.

If negotiations break down and the strike materializes on this day, the Seoul subway will come to a halt for the third consecutive year. In 2022, the 1st and 2nd Unions began striking from the first train on November 30, ending at 12:05 a.m. on December 1 after one day. Last year, a warning strike was held on November 9-10, but negotiations were settled before a general strike.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has prepared an 'emergency transportation plan' in response to the railway union strike that began on this day and the subway strike scheduled for the 6th. They will increase the frequency of city buses during rush hours and secure 7,374 substitute subway personnel to maintain train operation rates between 86% and 100% during commuting hours.

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