Seoul Subway 2nd Union Strike Vote 'Rejected'... 1st and 3rd Unions Final Negotiations

Second Union Fails to Exceed 50% Approval Threshold
Unions 1 and 3 Scheduled for Individual Negotiations on the Afternoon of the 4th
Railroad Union to Launch General Strike Starting the 5th

The strike proposal of the Seoul Metro Workers' Union No. 2, affiliated with Seoul Metro Corporation which operates Seoul Subway Lines 1 to 8, was rejected.

According to Union No. 2 on the 4th, in the strike action vote held from the 2nd of this month until that day, 1,965 out of 2,615 union members participated, of whom 1,258 voted in favor. The approval rate among all union members was 48%.

On the 20th, when the Seoul Metro Workers' Union operating lines 1 to 8 of the Seoul subway began a compliance strike, citizens were waiting for the subway at Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5 in Seoul. The Seoul Metro Workers' Union will go on strike starting from the 6th of next month if dialogue is refused. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

According to regulations, the approval rate among union members must exceed 50% for the proposal to pass. Initially, Union No. 2 mistakenly announced that the vote result was approved based on a miscalculation but immediately reversed the result. Previously, Union No. 2 had announced that 64% of the total voters approved, thus passing the proposal.

Currently, Seoul Metro Corporation’s Union No. 1 and Union No. 3 have announced plans to launch a general strike on the 6th, demanding wage increases and workforce expansion. Seoul Metro Corporation plans to hold separate negotiations with Unions No. 1 and No. 3 on the afternoon of the 4th. The key issues are whether to accept the company’s proposed 2.5% wage increase and to withdraw the introduction of a single-person operation system on Line 2.

Meanwhile, the Korea Railroad Workers' Union (Railroad Union), which has announced a general strike demanding wage increases and resolution of wage arrears, will hold send-off ceremonies at five locations nationwide, including the exit of Seoul Station, on the 5th and begin an indefinite general strike. The Railroad Union is on high alert for the repercussions of the declaration of martial law and is preparing for the final negotiations with the company scheduled for that day.

KORAIL has established an emergency response headquarters operating 24 hours in preparation for the general strike, conducted emergency situation response training for internal and external employees, and issued notices regarding the strike warning through KORAIL Talk, its own social media (SNS), and website.