Seoul Metro workers likely to strike next week

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Sept. 19 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers of Seoul Metro, a South Korean subway transit operator, said they plan to walk out from next Friday if the management does not withdraw its restructuring plan.

Seoul Metro, a public corporation which runs Seoul subway lines 1 to 4, has been
pushing since January to cut jobs by 20 percent and to allow private firms to
operate some subway stations in a bid to streamline its business operations.
The labor union says the company's plan to privatize would threaten the safety of
citizens and increase job instability.
The 9,306-member labor union on Friday voted 6,247 to 2,134 to launch a strike.
"We will make all kinds of efforts to solve the dispute through dialogue before
the day we decided to go on strike, but we are going to stage a tough strike if
the company tries to prolong the dispute," the labor union said.
Meanwhile, a company official said on condition of anonymity, "Seoul Metro will
go ahead with its plan, as it is determined to restructure its business
operations, even if unionists walk out. The company is bracing for the strike to
provide normal subway services."
With 12 lines in operation, the Seoul Metropolitan Subway sells an average of 8
million trips daily.
The subway is operated by three different firms: Korail, the Seoul Metro and the
Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation.
Seoul Metro carries about 4.5 million passengers on a daily average, representing
22 percent of all public transportation users in Seoul.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
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