The union of Seoul Metro has voted to declare a labor dispute, demanding a wage increase and the withdrawal of a plan to cut staff. The union said it would strike if negotiations with management make no progress.
The union said it held an extraordinary delegates' meeting on the 15th and resolved to launch a labor dispute to win its 2026 wage and collective bargaining demands.
The union declared talks broken off at a third round of main negotiations with management on Sept. 29. It said management had failed to present concrete measures on its core demands, citing the need for consultations with the Seoul city government and an organizational review. The union is demanding a 3.5% wage increase, the full withdrawal of a plan to cut 2,212 positions, the hiring of 1,313 workers to fill vacancies this year, state funding for public service obligations, and a mandatory two-person team rule for field work.
The union plans to file for dispute mediation with the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission on the 16th and to hold a strike vote from Nov. 2 to 5. It will then hold a joint news conference with the Korean Railway Workers' Union and other groups on Nov. 6 to announce the vote results and its next steps. The union also plans to open general meetings of members from the 17th and begin work-to-rule action from the 20th. If negotiations still make no progress, it will take industrial action including a strike.
"This resolution to launch a dispute is not a simple demand for higher wages but a decision to block large-scale staff cuts and fill shortages of field workers to protect the safety of workers and citizens," the union said.