On the 25th, officials from the Seoul Metro Workers’ Union held a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall to announce the results of a strike vote and to warn of a general strike. The Seoul Metro Workers’ Union has announced a general strike scheduled for December 12.
The union, which is the largest union within Seoul Metro and is affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, stated during the press conference that unless worker safety is guaranteed, they will go on a general strike starting December 12.
Before the general strike, the union plans to begin lawful operation starting December 1. The union’s main demands to the management are four-fold: first, halting workforce reduction and hiring more safety personnel; second, addressing the issue of unfair wage reductions; third, ensuring labor safety, including implementing measures to prevent ‘occupational cancer’; and lastly, resolving the subway financial crisis and increasing reinvestment in safety.
Furthermore, the union claimed that “Seoul City is forcibly pushing through a large-scale workforce reduction of about 2,200 people under the pretext of management efficiency,” and warned that “if the union’s demands are ignored and cost-cutting or management efficiency arguments are put forward, a strike will be inevitable.”
Additionally, the union argued that a wage rollback is becoming a reality, as the company, citing lack of funds, proposed a wage increase of only 1.8%, which is below the 3% public sector wage increase rate set by the government.
Earlier, the labor and management sides went through a dispute adjustment process via the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission, but the adjustment was halted due to the expiration of the deadline.
The union secured the right to strike, with 83.53% approval in a strike vote conducted since the 14th. The second and third unions within Seoul Metro also secured the legal right to strike through approved strike votes.