Seoul Subway's Third Union Concludes Strike Vote Today... Is a 'Transportation Crisis' Looming?

If the Third Union Votes in Favor, All Three Unions Will Have the Right to Strike
Strike Schedule Undecided... Expected to Be Announced Next Week
Labor Disputes Also Affecting Seoul City Buses... Possibility of Strike Remains

The possibility of a year-end strike on the Seoul subway is increasing. With strike authorization votes already passed by two unions at Seoul Metro, if the third union's vote is also approved, all three unions will be able to legally launch a strike.

According to the third union at Seoul Metro, known as the Right Union, the union's vote on industrial action will conclude at 5 p.m. on November 21. Since the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission decided to suspend mediation on November 18, a legal industrial action can begin immediately if the vote passes.

Citizens are using the subway at Gwanghwamun Station on Seoul Subway Line 5. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Previously, the first union, Seoul Metro Labor Union, and the second union, Seoul Metro Integrated Union, had already passed their respective strike authorization votes, with high approval rates of 83.5% and 77.97%. Both unions have also secured the right to strike, as mediation by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission has been suspended.

The main points of contention in the labor-management negotiations for the Seoul subway are wages and workforce expansion. The unions argue that management is bundling allowances and bonuses with base salary as "total labor costs," making it difficult to achieve a real wage increase. Due to the nature of the company, various overtime allowances are continuously generated, but since these must be covered within the total labor costs, the funding for base salary is ultimately eroded. In addition, all three unions are demanding the abolition or immediate suspension of the management reform plan to cut 2,212 jobs at Seoul Metro by next year.

Since the negotiation channels are divided among three unions, the strike schedule and whether the strikes will occur simultaneously have not yet been decided. A representative from the Right Union stated, "There is not much communication between the unions," and added, "Once the right to strike is obtained, there is a lot of volatility. The strike dates could differ for each union."

Last year, the first and third unions had announced a general strike for December 6, but the main negotiations that began the previous day reached a dramatic agreement in the early morning, preventing an actual strike. The unions are expected to announce their strike plans next week. The first union has stated it will hold a press conference on November 25 to announce its future course of action, while the third union is also preparing a press conference around November 24.

There is also a possibility of a "simultaneous bus and subway transportation crisis." This is because collective bargaining for Seoul city buses, ongoing since this spring, has also been facing difficulties. Although the Seoul city bus union has not set a specific strike date, it already secured the right to strike through the suspension of mediation and a successful strike authorization vote in April. A city bus union official said, "Management is trying to persuade the Seoul Metropolitan Government, so we are waiting."