Seoul Metro Temporarily Suspends "12-Minute Adjustment" Driving Time Change

Concerns Over Traffic Chaos Ahead of Seol Holiday

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] Seoul Metro, which operates the Seoul subway, announced on the 20th that it will temporarily suspend changes to subway crew driving hours.

Previously, the corporation and the Seoul Metro Labor Union had conflicts over a system that would increase crew driving hours by 12 minutes. The corporation had been pushing to increase the average driving time from the existing 4 hours and 30 minutes to 4 hours and 42 minutes in order to guarantee crew rest rights and rational distribution of holiday work allowances, but the union strongly opposed it, saying, "Increasing working hours at the employer's discretion is a crime." The union argued that "the 12-minute increase in driving time means that on average, 1 out of 10 workers cannot change shifts at the designated location and must operate for 6 hours."

On the morning of the same day, the Seoul Metro Labor Union held a press conference in front of Seoul City Hall. The union stated, "We will not give up on negotiations until the last moment, but if the extension of working hours is not withdrawn, we will have no choice but to refuse work orders starting from the first train on the 21st."

The corporation plans to suspend the time changes for the time being due to concerns about citizen inconvenience ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Choi Jeonggyun, Acting President of Seoul Metro, said, "Excessive holiday work caused by not fulfilling the driving hours stipulated in the employment rules must be changed for the health of the crew and the safety of citizens," adding, "The practice of some engineers nearing retirement focusing on holiday work to inflate their average wages and receive higher retirement pay must also change."