[Inside Chodong] Once Again, Citizens' Transportation Held Hostage

The annual subway strike, which takes place like a ritual around this time of year, has been forecasted again this year. With the KORAIL union (National Railroad Workers' Union) engaging in a work-to-rule action demanding wage increases and additional staffing, an unprecedented situation of simultaneous strikes in both the railway and subway systems could occur.

Unlike the strike by the Seoul Metro's 1st Union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) a year ago, which was criticized as a "strike without justification," the situation is different this time. The 2nd Union, the Seoul Metro Integrated Union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), has also entered the countdown to strike, and even the 3rd Union, the Correct Labor Union, which had previously dismissed the collective actions of the 1st and 2nd unions as mere disruptions, has this time cast over 90% approval votes. The so-called "MZ unions," which have kept a distance from political strikes, have taken a stance that inevitably heightens concerns over a metropolitan subway crisis.

Among them, the 1st and 2nd unions, which have the largest membership at 60%, are demanding the withdrawal of the restructuring plans pushed by management and the suspension of the introduction of one-person train operation, calling for normalization of personnel management. Additionally, the 3rd union has proposed a wage increase rate up to three times the 2.5% offered by management. According to their argument, while the corporation can raise total labor costs by up to 2.5% in line with government guidelines, the additional labor costs incurred from increasing train frequency are included in this, significantly reducing the actual wage increase for employees.

The problem is that the unions are wielding the strike like a bludgeon. Despite the corporation and Seoul City's principle of "not compromising with strikes that hold citizens' inconvenience hostage," this has been repeated for three years. They have already taken practical action through work-to-rule, which serves as a strike warning. On the previous day, there was even a situation where a train conductor operating the subway got off at a station to use the restroom, causing a series of train delays. Attempts to shift responsibility to the corporation and Seoul City have once again been packaged under the euphemism of "lawful struggle."

The root cause of the strike is the financial condition of Seoul Metro, which has accumulated deficits totaling 18 trillion won. As deficits have piled up, total debt has ballooned to 7.0833 trillion won as of June this year. Interest expenses from borrowing over the past five years have reached a total of 372.3 billion won. With rising interest rates, the corporation is now paying an average of 370 million won per day in interest alone.

However, the union's claim of "why should the burden of poor management be passed on to workers?" also deserves consideration. Above all, the workforce increased when about 1,600 administrative staff were forcibly included in the headcount in 2018, and the shift system changed from three shifts with two teams to four shifts with two teams, which triggered the manpower shortage. Eventually, some union officials within the corporation abused the time-off system for union duties (time-off) and failed to properly report to work.

The 3rd union criticized the 1st and 2nd unions, saying, "It is normal to come to work on days when union duties are not performed, but we have seen cases where this has not happened for years," adding, "Because of this, there are days when only one female employee works at some subway stations," highlighting the serious issue of idle manpower. This makes it difficult to support claims that staff reductions would increase safety accidents.

However, it is necessary to reflect on whether there have been gaps in the administrative capabilities of Seoul City and the corporation amid years of accumulating deficits. Besides fare increases and staff reductions, it should be examined whether self-help efforts such as asset sales or generating revenue from ancillary businesses were prioritized to resolve the chronic deficit problem of the corporation.

The corporation and Seoul City's strong stance against illegal union activities must also be maintained. Although the union claims to have obtained legal strike rights, they must be held accountable for work disruptions and damages caused by train operation delays. If the union's strike tactics succeed again this time, the public's means of transportation could once again be held hostage at any time.