Rail workers` strike disrupts train services

An extended strike by rail union workers began to take a heavy toll on passenger train services nationwide, as the replacement staff have been rushed to man freight trains, the Korea Railroad Co. said Sunday, according to the Yonhap News.



With the indefinite strike by unionized KORAIL workers entering its fourth day, operations of passenger trains were cut back to about 60 percent of their normal capacity, while freight train services were running at about 30 percent of capacity, up from less than 10 percent last week, the state-owned company said in a press release.



The union`s 16,000 workers walked out on Thursday after negotiations over pay and work conditions fell through.



"We will do everything we can to minimize inconvenience and mobilize all available workers to operate trains as normally as possible," a KORAIL official said.



KORAIL transferred some of its remaining staff to freight services, after their operation rate on the first day of the stoppage dropped to 5 percent of their daily capacity, or 15 runs compared to an average 300.