Subway strike negotiations continue

SEOUL, Nov. 19 (Yonhap) -- Negotiations between a Seoul subway operator and unionized subway workers were to resume late Wednesday to resolve a dispute and avoid a planned strike.

A subway strike by the 9,300-strong union of Seoul Metro, a public corporation
that runs Seoul subway lines one through four, is scheduled from 4 a.m. Thursday
if the two parties cannot reach an agreement by dawn.
President Lee Myung-bak, currently visiting Latin America, warned his government
will deal sternly with any illegal labor strike.
The union is locked in a wage dispute with Seoul Metro over the subway operator's
plan 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 management warned earlier this week that strong measures will be taken
against those who take part in the strike.
The strike is expected to take place simultaneously with the strike of national
railway workers, who are prepared to walk off work as of 9 a.m.
The union of Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), which operates both inter-city and
some subway lines linking Seoul with surrounding satellite cities, is demanding
the management rehire 47 workers fired in 2003.
Both Seoul Metro and KORAIL claim that their services will not be largely
affected by the strike, as they have put extra workers on standby.