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Rail workers go on indefinite strike

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An electronic sign notifies passengers to reconfirm their train schedules, at Gwangju Songjeong Station in Gwangju, Wednesday, as railway workers launched a strike and some train operations were disrupted. / Yonhap
An electronic sign notifies passengers to reconfirm their train schedules, at Gwangju Songjeong Station in Gwangju, Wednesday, as railway workers launched a strike and some train operations were disrupted. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Unionized rail workers began an indefinite strike Wednesday, calling on the state-run railway operator to raise wages and hire more staff.

The indefinite walkout is expected to inconvenience commuters, as well as many high school seniors from rural areas who are currently having essay tests or interviews in Seoul for college admission.

The Korean Railway Workers' Union and the Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) had last-ditch talks overnight to stop the former from ordering the industrial action, but the two failed to hammer out their differences over four issues including wages and recruitment.

This is the first strike since one in 2016 that lasted 74 days from September to December. Ahead of the full-scale strike, the union staged a "warning" partial strike from Oct. 11 to 14. Unions of KORAIL's subsidiary companies, including KORAIL Tourism Development and KORAIL Networks, also joined the walkout.

According to KORAIL, the strike is disrupting rail services, dropping the operation rates for its trains by up to 70 percent of normal.

When it comes to the KTX bullet train, the operation rate remained at 68.9 percent of normal levels on the first day of the strike. However, the SRT, the other high-speed train embarking from Suseo Station in southern Seoul and arriving in Busan or Mokpo, is operating normally and selling standing-room tickets to minimize any travel disruption for passengers.

Intercity subway trains connecting Seoul to surrounding areas operated at 82 percent of normal.

The operation rates for the slower Mugunghwa and Saemaeul trains remained at 60 percent, while that for cargo trains stayed at 31 percent.

In order to offset the inconvenience during commuting hours, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport mobilized non-union workers, while providing alternative means of transport such as express and intercity buses in consultation with local governments.

The railway union has demanded that KORAIL hire 4,000 workers to operate the rail system effectively and safely following its planned daily shift change next year, but the company is only considering hiring 1,800.

In addition, while wanting an increase of 4 percent in basic salary, the union is calling for a merger of SR, the operator of the SRT, with KORAIL and an improvement in working conditions for employees at KORAIL's affiliates, not all of which are under review by management.

Before the full strike, the rail workers had staged a "work-to-rule" campaign since last Friday, delaying operations of some trains by up to one hour.

"I deeply apologize that we could not stop the previously warned of strike and that it is causing inconvenience to the public," KORAIL CEO Son Byung-seok said in a statement, adding the company participated in 30 rounds of negotiations to address pending issues.

"Over the past two years, we hired 3,000 personnel and if we accept the union's request to employ 4,000 more, KORAIL's operations will be hit hard given that we post a deficit of 100 billion won ($85 million) every year."


Kang Seung-woo ksw@koreatimes.co.kr


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