Seoul Subway Labor to Go on Strike Early Next Week

Labor union members at Seoul Subway Corporation (line 1 to 4) have decided to take a collective action against the Seoul city government`s plan to extend the operating hours.

˝Members of the union voted on the issue to decide whether to go on strike or not,˝ said a union official on Dec. 23. ˝Of 7,999 members, or 86.2% of the total, participating in the vote, 78.2% supported the idea of going on strike.˝

The union is now set to hold a rally on the 24th and the 27th, which will be joined by on-site workers and all of the union members respectively, waiting the management`s decision until the 30th. The detailed plan such as when and how to wage strike will be discussed at a rally on the 27th.

˝We are not against the idea of extending the operating hours, but it is a violation of the labor law for the management to make a unilateral decision without consultation with the labor,˝ explained Bae Il-do, head of the labor union. ˝It is also a threat to the safety of the public to put cars on the line without first inspecting them.˝

The labor is demanding that the management deliver on its promises such as changing the work shift system from the current two shifts by three teams to three shifts by four teams; taking safety measures including installing a screen door (a wall built to prevent falls) on subway platforms; paying a part of severance payments before retirement and settling 2.7 billion won in overtime payments.

The labor also demanded that Seoul city mayor Lee Myung-bak dismiss the corporation`s head Park Jong-ok by holding him accountable for the unilateral move.

The corporation, on its part, filed a case to the Central Labor Commission on Dec. 23 for arbitration and asked the labor to have the 9th discussion on Dec. 26. With the arbitration case filed today, it will be violating the law if the labor pushes for strike within 15 days.

Kyung-Joon Chung news91@donga.com