Placards listing the Korea Railway Workers’ Union’s demands hang at Seoul Station on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Placards listing the Korea Railway Workers’ Union’s demands hang at Seoul Station on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Korea Railroad Corp.’s unionized workers have postponed their indefinite walkout, which was set to begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday, after reaching a tentative agreement with management regarding performance-based bonuses.

The Korea Railway Workers’ Union stated early Thursday that all trains would run as scheduled to minimize inconvenience for commuters, while negotiations with management continue, according to local media.

Local governments also issued mobile safety alerts around 6:30 a.m. to inform residents that rail services would operate normally.

The union had declared an indefinite strike at 3 p.m. Wednesday after last-minute talks collapsed, citing the government negotiators’ refusal to address the performance-based bonus system. It is also demanding stronger safety measures ahead of the planned integration of KTX and the separately operated SR high-speed rail services, which the government plans to complete by 2026.

Although service remains normal, the prospect of a strike has not disappeared, as both sides continue discussions over the union’s demands.

Meanwhile, Seoul’s subway Line No. 9 also averted a strike that had been scheduled to begin Thursday, as the operator for the section between Eonju Station and VHS Medical Center Station reached a tentative agreement with its union.

Three unions of Seoul Metro, the operator of Subway Lines Nos. 1-8, will enter last-ditch negotiations on Thursday and could stage a walkout starting Friday if talks fail.

These three unions cover 86 percent of all Seoul Metro employees.


forestjs@heraldcorp.com