Seoul’s subway system narrowly avoided major disruption on Friday after a last-minute agreement between management and the labor union of Seoul Metro over wage increases and workforce expansion.
According to the operator of Seoul lines Nos. 1-8, the general strike that was scheduled to begin with the first train on Friday was called off. Negotiations continued during early morning operations and concluded with an agreement around 6 a.m.
The planned strike, which involved three unions, was expected to involve about 86 percent of the company’s workforce, raising concerns over severe disruption to the city’s commuting system.
Seoul Metro agreed to the union’s demand for a 3 percent wage increase for this year, shifting from its initial position of maintaining a 1.8 percent raise. The company also committed to hiring about 820 new employees, a clear shift from Seoul City’s earlier plan to recruit 289 workers.
The Seoul Transit Corporation Labor Union, the company’s largest union, said management also pledged to work toward counting regular bonuses as part of base wages, improving safety conditions amid concerns about blood cancer risks and creating a more supportive working environment for pregnant and postpartum employees, according to local reports.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
