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Railway Workers' Strike Disrupts Railway Services

Posted on: Thursday, 2 March 2006, 12:00 CST

Railway workers' strike disrupts railway services

SEOUL, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Railway services in South Korea were disrupted Wednesday after unionized workers went on strike despite a government order to halt the walkout.

The strike made by unionized workers at the state-run (South) Korean Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) began in the early hours of Wednesday after several rounds of negations failed to make progress over the union's call for higher wages, better working conditions and the reinstatement of laid-off workers.

As of late Wednesday afternoon, the walkout had caused the cancellation of about 53 percent of scheduled train and freight services, reported the South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

However, the strike did not cause serious public inconvenience as Wednesday is a public holiday marking Korea's mass independence uprising against Japan's colonial rule in 1919.

Railway officials were quoted by Yonhap as saying that the strike was expected to cause travel chaos on Thursday morning as only about 8 percent of the 13,809 striking workers plan to return to work.

The National Labor Relations Commission said it will arbitrate the dispute between the union and the management of the KORAIL, banning unionized workers to take on the strike.

The commission has the authority to intervene in labor conflicts in sectors critical to the national economy. Its decision to arbitrate mandates a 15-day "cooling-off" period by unionists.

KORAIL workers are demanding better working conditions and the reinstatement of dismissed colleagues, which the company's management refuses to accept.

"Most of the railway workers' demands are not subject to negotiation," Labor Minister Lee Sang-soo was quoted by Yonhap as saying earlier in the day.

"As the labor commission has decided to arbitrate the labor row, if the railway workers go on strike, it will be illegal," said Lee.

The police are seeking to arrest 10 KORAIL union leaders after receiving arrest warrant for them.

In response to the warnings issued by government officials , KORAIL union leaders said they cannot accept state arbitration that effectively limits laborers' rights, reported Yonhap.

Yonhap also reported striking workers and the management of the KORAIL resume negotiations on Wednesday night.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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