Unionized Seoul Metro workers to stage walkout next month

People are seen waiting in line for a subway train in Seoul (Yonhap)

The union members of Seoul Metro, the operator of Seoul Subway Line Nos. 1 to 8, will go on strike next month to protest management's workforce reduction plan, the union said Wednesday.

The walkout, which is set to take place on Nov. 9, a Thursday, comes after the two sides failed to reach an agreement over the dispute after conducting 10 rounds of negotiations, since the initial round on July 11.

“Seoul City’s plan to reduce and restructure the workforce will ultimately threaten the safety of citizens and workers and deteriorate the quality of public services,” a member of the city-run company’s labor union said at a press conference held in Seoul. They also claim that the seismic downsize in employees could lead to safety issues.

Seoul Metro has announced its plan to reduce the size of its workforce by some 13.5 percent, or 2,211 workers, by 2026, as it has been suffering snowballing deficits for years.

However, the reduction plan faced significant backlash from the labor union, as the union asserted that management was shifting the blame for "management failure" onto workers.

Amid concerns over a potential strike by metro workers causing disruptions for commuters, the union has announced that weekday subway services will be maintained at a level between 53.5 percent and 79.8 percent of the normal capacity, to minimize inconvenience for passengers.

By Park Jun-hee(junheee@heraldcorp.com)