Key facts
- Union 1 of Seoul Metro said it will begin an indefinite general strike on November 25 if demands are not met.
- The union lowered its wage demand to 3.5 percent from an initial 5.2 percent in talks with management.
- The union wants a plan to cut 2,212 jobs scrapped and 1,313 additional workers hired this year.
- The union said 7,782 of its 9,201 members voted, with 86.3 percent of those voting backing the strike.
- Union 1 and Union 2 plan a work-to-rule campaign from November 20, the union said.
- Seoul Metro operates subway Lines 1-8 and parts of Line 9.
Union 1 of Seoul Metro, the largest of three labor unions at the subway operator, said at a news conference on November 10 that it would launch an indefinite general strike on November 25 unless its demands are met. The warning followed a meeting of senior union members in Seoul.
The union initially sought a 5.2 percent wage increase and lowered the demand to 3.5 percent in negotiations with management. It also calls for scrapping a plan to cut 2,212 jobs and for hiring an additional 1,313 workers this year to address staff shortages. Other demands include state funding for public services and a requirement that all field work be performed by two-person teams.
The union said 7,782 of its 9,201 members, or 84.6 percent, took part in a recent vote, and 6,715 of those voting, or 86.3 percent, backed the strike plan. Unions 2 and 3 also approved the plan, with 80.8 percent and 94.9 percent of their respective members voting in favor, according to the union.
Union 1 said it and Union 2 plan to begin a work-to-rule campaign on November 20 unless their demands are met, and to start an indefinite general strike on November 25 if management and the Seoul metropolitan government do not change their positions. Seoul Metro operates subway Lines 1-8 and parts of Line 9.