Seoul Metro Union Approves Industrial Action, to Begin Work-to-Rule Campaign on November 20

86.3% of voters back action... Is the union moving toward a strike?
Demands 3.5% pay raise and withdrawal of job-cut plan
Strike possible at end of November if talks make no progress

The Seoul Metro labor union has approved industrial action after wage negotiations broke down and will begin a work-to-rule campaign on November 20. The union plans to launch a strike later this month if negotiations with management make no progress.

According to the Seoul Metro Union, the company’s largest labor union, 7,782 of its 9,201 members (84.6%) voted in a ballot on industrial action held from November 2 through November 5. Of those who voted, 6,715 (86.3%) were in favor.

Citizens use the subway at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Metro Line 5 in November last year. The Seoul Metro union will begin a work-to-rule campaign on the 20th. Photo by Cho Yongjun

The approval means the union has met the legal requirements to take industrial action. It will therefore begin a work-to-rule campaign on November 20. The union plans to decide whether to strike based on the progress of negotiations. A union official said, “The vote means we have met the legal requirements to launch a strike. We expect a strike around the end of November, and we believe there will be negotiations with Seoul Metro and the Seoul Metropolitan Government before then.”

In this year’s wage negotiations, the union is demanding a 3.5% pay increase in line with government guidelines. It has also called on management to withdraw its plan to cut 2,212 jobs and hire 1,313 people to fill staffing shortages by the end of the year. The union is also demanding improvements to the system, including national funding for public-service costs and a requirement for field staff to work in two-person teams.

After wage negotiations with management broke down, the union applied for mediation of the labor dispute with the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in October. However, the two sides failed to narrow their differences, and mediation was suspended on November 2.

Seoul Metro operates all sections of Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8, as well as Sections 2 and 3 of Line 9. Last year, a strike did not take place after the union and management reached an agreement in the early hours of December 12, the day the union had planned to strike.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.