Strike will not affect subway operation, says Seoul Metro

SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- The expected strike by unionized subway workers later
this week will not affect operations in Seoul, an official said Monday.

"We will do our best to maintain normal operations even if we fail to reach an
agreement," said Kim Sang-don, head of the Seoul Metro, a public corporation
which runs Seoul subways lines one through four. Service hours are likely to be
cut only by an hour to midnight from the current 1 a.m. should the strike begin,
he said.
The 9,306-member labor union vowed to walk out on Thursday, saying the
management's plan to restructure and privatize would threaten the safety of
citizens and increase job instability.
"Going on a strike at a time of economic troubles in and out of the country is a
case of NIMBY (not in my back yard) behavior," said Kim, criticizing the union's
actions.
He warned that strong measures will be taken against those who take part in the
strike.
The subway operator has been pushing since January to cut jobs by 20 percent and
to allow private firms to operate some of the subway stations in a bid to
streamline its business operations.
ygkim@yna.co.kr
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