The labor union and management of the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, which operates subway lines 1 to 8 in Seoul, reached an agreement on their wage and collective bargaining negotiations on the brink of a strike on December 6th. The union and management signed the main bargaining agreement at around 2 a.m. that day, resulting in the union withdrawing its strike plan that was set to begin with the first train of the day. The parties initiated their fifth main negotiation session on December 5th at 4:13 p.m. at the Talent Development Center of the Corporation’s headquarters in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. After several breaks and resumptions of internal meetings, they sat at the final negotiation table at 1:24 a.m. and reached an agreement.
The agreement includes the prompt hiring of approximately 630 new employees to offset retirements and vacancies, with initial approval from the Seoul Metropolitan Government for 464 hires. Regarding safety concerns about the implementation of a one-person operation system on Line 2, the union confirmed that management agreed to halt this introduction for safety considerations. A wage increase of 2.5%, aligned with this year’s public institution wage policy guidelines, was also agreed upon.
The union noted that, despite previous instances of receiving lower than the government guideline increases, this time they were granted the full 2.5% increase. Additionally, both parties agreed to propose that any additional labor costs from implementing government and city policies be excluded from total labor costs and to request compensation from Seoul City for financial losses related to the climate companion card sales. They will also pursue improvements in work conditions, such as employee rest facilities, and create measures based on research into work environments related to occupational leukemia in the vehicle and machinery sectors.
To boost employee morale and establish a rational institution design, a joint labor-management task force for wages and personnel matters will be operated starting next year. Although the union sees this new hiring agreement as a way to halt the structural adjustment plan aiming to reduce over 2,200 positions by 2026, they intend to continue challenging what they see as an excessive focus on workforce reduction by proposing a review to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul City.
Despite canceling the strike following this agreement, the union plans to continue participating in the “Oust Yoon Seok-yeol” campaign based on the guidelines of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Public Transport Workers’ Union. The Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation also reached agreements with the second largest union, the Korea Labor Union-affiliated Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Integrated Union, and the third largest union, the Right Union, at 2:50 a.m. and 4:20 a.m., respectively. The key terms of the agreements, such as a 2.5% wage increase and hiring over 630 new employees, are similar, with some differences in detailed working conditions.
If the unions had proceeded with their strikes, it could have caused substantial inconvenience for subway riders, coinciding with the ongoing indefinite strike by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union. Baek Ho, CEO of the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation, emphasized the priority of preventing inconvenience to citizens due to the strike and committed to close cooperation with unions for safe and convenient subway operations. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also expressed appreciation to both labor and management for prioritizing the safety and convenience of citizens, and to the citizens for their patience. He noted that lines 1, 3, and 4, which connect with Korail, may face delays in normalization due to the rail union’s strike, and he promised to minimize inconvenience with supplementary measures like additional train operations and deployment of safety personnel.