Korea’s railway union launches strike, concerns rise over service disruptions

[Photo by Yonhap]

The Korean Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) has kicked off a general strike Thursday after failing to reach an agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport on the operations of high-speed KTX trains at Suseo Station in Seoul.

The strike, which is scheduled until 9 a.m. on Sept. 18, is the first of its kind in four years. It had been forewarned by the KRWU last week.

“We proposed a social dialogue on KTX operations in Suseo to the Land Ministry but our proposal was rejected,” the union said.

KRWU held six rounds of working-level talks and one round of plenary talks with the management of Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) since July but failed to reach an agreement. The National Labor Relations Commission has also failed to mediate the dispute.

The Suseo High Speed Rail (SRT), operated by SR Corp., expanded its routes on Sept. 1 to include Gyeongjeon, Jeolla, and Donghae Lines, while reducing weekday operations on the Gyeongbu Line.

The KRWU has argued for KTX trains to access Suseo, noting that the separation of SRT based at Suseo Station, and KTX based at Seoul Station is a step toward railway privatization.

The union is also demanding the withdrawal of the job-based pay system and the implementation of a four group, two shift work system.

The Transport Ministry and KORAIL, in the meantime, entered into an emergency mode to ensure stable train operations amid concerns about transportation and logistics disruptions ahead of Chuseok holiday.

On Wednesday, the Land Ministry introduced emergency measures such as by deploying substitute personnel on the metro and KTX during commuting hours to maximize train operation rates.

The goal is to maintain 75 percent of normal operation rates on the metro and 68 percent on the KTX.

The ministry also aims to secure as many alternative transportation options as possible such as high-speed, intercity, and local buses.