The Seoul Transportation Corporation's first union, the Seoul Transportation Corporation Labor Union, announced plans for an indefinite general strike starting November 25 if there is no significant change in the stance of management and the Seoul city government regarding their demands for a halt to restructuring and an increase in personnel.
On November 10, the union held a "2026 Labor-Management Negotiation Resolution Rally" at 10 a.m. in front of the Seoul City Council Annex, marking the beginning of their protest actions.
Previously, the union voted in favor of a strike, with 6,715 out of 7,782 voters (84.6% turnout) supporting the action after negotiations over wages and collective agreements broke down.
The key issues in the negotiations include the withdrawal of a plan to reduce the workforce by 2,212 employees and the demand for increased safety personnel.
Union Chairman Kim Jeong-seop criticized the city government's plan for further workforce reductions, stating, "The Seoul Transportation Corporation has already reduced its workforce by over 1,700 since the merger. Which citizen has claimed that reducing personnel, which threatens subway safety, is a public demand?" He added that the city and the corporation are abusing the total labor cost system to undermine their wages.
Representatives from various departments also raised concerns about poor working conditions and safety issues due to staff shortages.
Jung Yong-woo, head of the station operations department, noted, "When a night shift worker goes on break, only one person is left to manage the station. The reality of one-person operations is not a future problem; it is happening every day now." He questioned how the mayor and the corporation's president can claim that citizen safety is a priority while reducing personnel.
Song Sang-min, head of the train operations department, expressed frustration over unpredictable work schedules, stating, "I received a notice two days ago that my night shift was changed to a day shift, and I am often called in on my days off. We want predictable work schedules, but we can't even have that due to the lack of personnel." He added that during long driving shifts, he has to rush to the turnaround point to use the restroom and often eats meals quickly in the driver's cabin due to time constraints.
Park Sang-hyun, head of the Jinjeop Vehicle Division, called for improvements in working conditions, highlighting issues at a facility built at a cost of approximately 800 billion won, which is experiencing leaks and flooding that disrupt power supply. He noted that around 730 staff members are forced to commute in a 25-seat shuttle bus, creating a chaotic situation.
Chairman Kim stated, "Today, I will unite the will of 10,000 union members to open the door to a general strike. Let’s cover Sejong-daero in front of City Hall with the flames of our struggle on November 17."
According to the strike guidelines announced by the union's central dispute response committee, the union plans to hold a general meeting in front of City Hall on November 17, aiming for over 3,000 participants. They will begin lawful protests, including compliance with regulations, starting November 20, and if there is no significant change in the stance of management and the city government, they will proceed with an indefinite general strike starting November 25.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.