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| ▲ This undated file photo shows passengers waiting for a subway train at a station in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
Seoul subway-strike
Seoul Metro management, labor to hold last-minute talks ahead of strike
SEOUL, Nov. 8 (Yonhap) -- Labor and management of Seoul Metro, the operator of the capital's subway service, are set to hold last-minute negotiations over manpower reduction on Wednesday, one day before a strike threatened by its unionized workers.
The final talks are to begin at the company headquarters in eastern Seoul at 3 p.m., Seoul Metro officials said, following the breakdown of 10 previous rounds of negotiations held since July.
Seoul Metro, run by the Seoul city government, has disclosed a plan to reduce its workforce by 2,212 employees, or 13.5 percent, by 2026 to overcome its chronic deficit and normalize management.
But the company's unionized workers have threatened to stage a one-day strike on Thursday to protest against the manpower reduction plan, saying excessive downsizing could directly lead to safety issues.
Labor and management held their last meeting at a regional labor office on Oct. 17 but failed to narrow differences.
Even if the strike is actually carried out, the workday subway operation rate will be maintained at a range from 53.5 percent (Line 1) and 79.8 percent (Lines 5 to 8) under an existing labor-management agreement signed to minimize inconvenience to citizens.
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