Railway workers to strike starting Monday

The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) on Sunday informed people of possible delays in train services starting Monday due to workers' strikes.

A notice of possible train operation delays due to labor actions is displayed inside Seoul Station in central Seoul on Sunday. [NEWS1]

The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) on Sunday informed people of possible delays in train services starting Monday due to workers' strikes.

Korail workers belonging to the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions said they will stage a labor slowdown and work-to-rule protest starting Monday .

According to Korail, subway lines operating within the capital are most likely to experience delays, adding that high-speed trains such as KTX could experience operation disruptions.

The labor action is expected to affect operations starting from Monday's first train and subway operations.

“There is no plan yet to downsize or adjust the operation schedule, but Korail will respond with its utmost efforts to prevent passengers’ inconveniences,” an official from Korail said.

The labor union representing rail service workers criticized the Finance Ministry for its plan to cut the number of Korail employees while the company is severely short on staff. The group also blamed Korail for the understaffing, which led to a vacuum in services and duties.

The union is expected to launch an indefinite general strike early next month after holding a press conference on Thursday.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]