Unionized rail workers went on a four-day general strike Thursday, their first collective action in about four years, which is expected to reduce passenger and freight train services by up to 60%.
The Korean Railway Workers’ Union demand better working conditions and an expansion of KTX high-speed train services to include a lucrative station in southern Seoul.
The national railway operator, plans to reduce the operations of passenger trains, including the high-speed KTX service, and cargo trains by 20-60 % in the wake of the strike.
The union is also demanding better working conditions, such as the full implementation of the four-team two-shift system that the company has agreed to introduce to ensure that rail workers do not work the night shift for two days in a row.
On Wednesday, Labor Minister Lee Jeong-sik urged unionized rail workers to cancel their plan to stage a general strike, citing its grave impact on the economy and the people’s daily lives.
Source: Qatar News Agency