Railway workers' strike disrupts commutes as union fails to reach agreement

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Railway workers' strike disrupts commutes as union fails to reach agreement

Published: 05 Dec. 2024, 18:42

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Commuters walk on a platform at Sindorim Station in Guro District, northern Seoul, on Thursday morning. [YONHAP]

Commuters experienced traffic disruptions on Thursday as unionized workers of the state-run Korea Railway Corporation (Korail) launched an indefinite general strike following failed negotiations on wages and workforce expansion.

The strike affected high-speed KTX train services and subways in the metropolitan area, including lines No. 1, 3 and 4, as well as the Gyeongchun, Gyeongui-Jungang, Suin-Bundang and Seohae lines. However, other train services, such as the SRT, GTX-A and Airport Railroad Express, continued to operate as usual.

“I usually take the subway to work in the morning because it’s faster, but today I decided to take the bus instead,” said a 24-year-old office worker who took a bus from Sadang Station in southern Seoul.

Around 220 train services were canceled due to the strike on Thursday. In response to the walkout, Korail implemented an emergency transport plan to dispatch alternative personnel and maximize train schedules.

Korail announced plans to maintain 75 percent of subway operations, compared to normal days, and up to 90 percent during the morning and afternoon rush hours. For other train services, targeted operations during the strike are set at 67 percent for the KTX, 58 percent for the ITX-Saemaeul and 62 percent for the Mugunghwa trains.

Local governments of the greater Seoul area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi, vowed to minimize commuter inconvenience by increasing bus schedules during peak hours and collaborating with taxi associations to dispatch additional taxis. Alternative personnel will also be mobilized during the strike.

Members of the Korean Railway Workers’ Union rally in front of Gwangju Songjeong Station on Thursday. [YONHAP]

The indefinite strike by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union (KRWU) marks the first in a year and three months, following the previous walkout in September last year.

Negotiations between Korail and the labor union on Wednesday afternoon lasted for about five hours but failed to resolve disputes over wages, unpaid salaries, performance incentives and workforce expansion.

“We decided to stage a walkout, as no agreement was reached on key issues, including increasing wages, resolving unpaid wages, improving incentive payments and adding more labor,” the KRWU said in a statement on Thursday.

The union on the same day held rallies nationwide, including in Seoul, Busan and Daejeon, calling for improved working conditions, which they described as necessary “to protect the lives of people.”

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, a total of 2,870 of the train operator's 12,994 employees — or 22 percent — had joined the strike, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korail. The figure is slightly higher than last year’s participation rate of 21.7 percent.

A passerby reads a digital board at Gwangju Songjeong Station showing train cancellations due to the Korean Railway Workers’ Union’s general strike, which began on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Disruptions are expected to worsen on Friday as unionized workers of Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines No. 1 to 8, plan to launch their own strike if negotiations with the subway operator fall through.

The Seoul Metro's labor unions are demanding a wage increase and the withdrawal of a restructuring plan to slash 2,000 employees by 2026.

Negotiations between the union and Seoul Metro began at 4 p.m. Thursday and no agreement has been reached as of press time. If the situation continues, the union will strike Friday morning, marking the third consecutive year of walkouts.

Despite the strike, a minimum level of subway operations must be maintained under previous agreements. For subway lines No. 1 to 4, operations must be maintained at 65.7 percent, while lines No. 5 to 8 require 79.8 percent. Services during morning peak hours are expected to run as usual.

The Seoul city government announced plans to maintain 100 percent subway operations during morning rush hours and 86 percent during the afternoon rush. Additional train cars will be deployed to mitigate the impact of the Korail strike and reserve intracity buses will be dispatched.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]