SEOUL, December 12 (AJP) - Unionized subway workers in Seoul on Friday called off their planned full-scale strike after reaching a last-minute deal with management, averting major disruptions to the morning rush hour.
Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines 1 through 8, said it reached an agreement early in the morning after overnight marathon negotiations.
The workers had earlier threatened to strike from the first trains of the day unless their demands for higher wages, the hiring of more staff, and a halt to large-scale layoffs and pay cuts were met.
Negotiations with workers from other unions also concluded in separate agreements later on.
The key sticking point in the negotiations was staffing. Both sides agreed to hire approximately 820 workers to fill existing vacancies, with an additional 180 recruits for extended operations to be hired later through a separate process.
The two sides also resolved other issues related to wages and working conditions by narrowing their differences.
* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.
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