Staff Cuts or New Hires? Seoul Subway Strike Looms Amid Labor-Management Staffing Dispute

The largest union's industrial action vote wins 86% approval
Management says around 1,500 positions must be cut to reduce deficits
Union says around 1,200 workers should be hired, taking vacancies into account

The labor union of Seoul Metro, which operates Seoul Subway Lines 1 through 8, has voted to authorize industrial action after wage negotiations broke down and will begin a work-to-rule campaign on November 20. The union plans to strike if there is no progress in talks with management.

According to the Seoul Metro Labor Union, the corporation’s largest union, 7,782 of its 9,201 eligible members, or 84.6%, took part in a vote held from November 2 to 5 on whether to take industrial action. Of those who voted, 6,715, or 86.3%, supported it.

A Seoul Subway Line 7 train. Yonhap News Agency.

The union and management are at odds over workforce reductions. Management says it needs to cut around 1,500 more positions to reduce chronic deficits. The union, by contrast, says around 1,300 new employees should be hired, taking into account scheduled retirements and long-term vacancies.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, which oversees Seoul Metro, set a target in 2023 of cutting 2,212 positions, or 13.5% of the authorized workforce of 16,376 at the time. It has completed cuts to 684 positions. Under the existing reduction plan, around 1,500 more positions remain to be cut.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon also said at a press conference marking his 100th day in office last month, "You are probably well aware that Seoul Metro's deficit continues to grow every year, despite its efforts to improve management efficiency. Reducing the workforce and pursuing management efficiency are natural demands from citizens."

The union says new hires are necessary. Based on figures as of March this year, the largest union estimates that 1,313 new employees need to be hired by the end of the year, taking into account staffing shortfalls against the authorized workforce, long-term vacancies due to parental leave or military service, and scheduled retirements. In this year's wage negotiations, the union is also calling for a 3.5% pay increase in line with government guidelines, national funding for public-service costs, and institutional reforms, including mandatory two-person teams for frontline work.

Accordingly, the union will begin a work-to-rule campaign on November 20 and plans to strike if negotiations make no progress. A strike is expected toward the end of this month. Last year, an actual strike was avoided when the union reached an agreement with management early on December 12, the day a strike had been scheduled.

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