Labor union members of Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 to 8, hold a press conference to announce plans to stage strikes in front of Seoul City Hall, Tuesday. Yonhap

Commuters in Seoul and surrounding areas will face delays as the labor union of Seoul Metro, the operator of subway lines 1 to 8, plans to stage a work-to-rule protest, Wednesday, demanding higher wages and additional hires.

Concerns about massive railway service disruptions are growing as KORAIL's labor union also began slowing down subway operations, Tuesday, on the Suinbundang Line, which connects Seoul and Incheon, and other routes connecting the capital city and suburban towns. The group also threatens to go on indefinite strike in early December if their demands are not met.

Seoul Metro's labor union, the first union of the corporation, which represents 60 percent of the workforce, held a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall and announced the strike schedule and demands.

"The subway labor site has seen constant anxiety and fear due to a series of serious industrial accidents and outbreak of blood cancer among employees that was revealed belatedly this year," the group said.

"Recently, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has forced restructuring and discontinued new recruitment, leading to a serious work gap and personnel shortage," the group said.

Then the group urged for the withdrawal of restructuring, the normalization of personnel operations, the suspension of the single-person crew system, the prevention of industrial accidents and the resolution of unfair wage cuts.

A subway station in Seoul is packed with commuters waiting to board a train, Nov. 9, 2023. Newsis

The labor union held a second mediation meeting with management at the Seoul Labor Relations Commission on Monday but secured their legal right to dispute as the mediation was suspended.

The union will hold a vote for or against the collective action from Nov. 15 to 18, a move that was approved by some 71 percent.

The unionized workers will stage work-to-rule operations from Wednesday. Unlike conventional on-time operation, work-to-rule operation complies with stopping time (intentionally going slower than usual), which could cause some delays.

The subway operator and the union are divided over the extent of the wage increase. The company insists on raising wages by 2.5 percent next year in accordance with government guidelines, while the union calls for a bigger increase.

Also, the company plans to reduce the number of employees by 2,200 by 2026, but the union opposes the excessive reduction of personnel and demands additional staffing, saying the cuts could lead directly to public safety issues.

"We urge the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the corporation to open a negotiating table for 15 days. If they refuse to talk, we will go on a full-scale strike," the union said.

KORAIL and Seoul Metro jointly operate metropolitan subway lines 1, 3 and 4. Lines 2 and 5 to 8 are operated by Seoul Metro, while KORAIL operates the Suinbundang Line, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, Gyeongchun Line, Gyeonggang Line and Seohae Line.