ID :
31431
Fri, 11/21/2008 - 13:56
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/31431
The shortlink copeid
Railway union leaders resign en masse over strike dispute
SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- Leaders of the Korea Railroad Corp. labor union resigned en masse on Thursday after their agreement with the management aimed at averting a strike failed to get union members' endorsement.
The 25,170-member union of the state-run Korail put its nationwide strike on hold just hours before it was set to begin at 9 a.m. amid growing dissent from members.
"The chairman and all members of the executive committee express intentions to resign, taking responsibility for the pay and union negotiations," the Korean Railway Workers' Union said in a statement.
About 30 members and union head Hwang Jeong-woo met in the afternoon as Hwang
sought union approval for the tentative agreement he reached with the management
on Wednesday to increase pay by 3 percent.
The deal, however, didn't meet the union's demands to scrap planned job cuts and
privatization.
Korail, which runs trains nationwide and some subway lines in the Seoul area,
plans to lay off up to 4,000 workers, or 10 percent of all employees, by 2012 to
reduce mounting deficits. The company seeks to cut 715 jobs by the end of this
year and also wants to privatize management for some of its facilities, such as
train stations and lost-and-found offices, to cut costs.
The union also demanded that 46 members who were fired for leading strikes in
recent years be allowed to return to work.
The Korail union voted to strike on Oct. 31, with 94 percent casting votes and 61
percent backing a walkout.
Negotiations hit a snag when the Korail chief, Kang Kyung-ho, was arrested on
bribery charges on Nov. 17.
President Lee Myung-bak has repeatedly warned against a Korail strike, which
would be the first walkout in a state-run company during his administration that
took power in February.
Visiting Brazil on Tuesday, he said, "We will sternly deal with the illegal
strike if (the labor union of) a state-run company launches an illegal strike at
this difficult time."
Railway-related organizations ran newspaper advertisements calling on the union
to step back and help energize the slumping economy amid the global financial
meltdown.
Prospects for a rail strike seemed dim after a breakthrough agreement on a pay
raise was reached between the government and the city of Seoul's subway union,
which had been threatening to strike. The deal was struck at 4 a.m. after
11-hour-long negotiations.
The Korail union said its decision to strike is still in effect. An acting leader
has been elected to hold further international discussions on whether to proceed
with the strike or cancel it.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
The 25,170-member union of the state-run Korail put its nationwide strike on hold just hours before it was set to begin at 9 a.m. amid growing dissent from members.
"The chairman and all members of the executive committee express intentions to resign, taking responsibility for the pay and union negotiations," the Korean Railway Workers' Union said in a statement.
About 30 members and union head Hwang Jeong-woo met in the afternoon as Hwang
sought union approval for the tentative agreement he reached with the management
on Wednesday to increase pay by 3 percent.
The deal, however, didn't meet the union's demands to scrap planned job cuts and
privatization.
Korail, which runs trains nationwide and some subway lines in the Seoul area,
plans to lay off up to 4,000 workers, or 10 percent of all employees, by 2012 to
reduce mounting deficits. The company seeks to cut 715 jobs by the end of this
year and also wants to privatize management for some of its facilities, such as
train stations and lost-and-found offices, to cut costs.
The union also demanded that 46 members who were fired for leading strikes in
recent years be allowed to return to work.
The Korail union voted to strike on Oct. 31, with 94 percent casting votes and 61
percent backing a walkout.
Negotiations hit a snag when the Korail chief, Kang Kyung-ho, was arrested on
bribery charges on Nov. 17.
President Lee Myung-bak has repeatedly warned against a Korail strike, which
would be the first walkout in a state-run company during his administration that
took power in February.
Visiting Brazil on Tuesday, he said, "We will sternly deal with the illegal
strike if (the labor union of) a state-run company launches an illegal strike at
this difficult time."
Railway-related organizations ran newspaper advertisements calling on the union
to step back and help energize the slumping economy amid the global financial
meltdown.
Prospects for a rail strike seemed dim after a breakthrough agreement on a pay
raise was reached between the government and the city of Seoul's subway union,
which had been threatening to strike. The deal was struck at 4 a.m. after
11-hour-long negotiations.
The Korail union said its decision to strike is still in effect. An acting leader
has been elected to hold further international discussions on whether to proceed
with the strike or cancel it.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
