Subway workers gather at a base in Seoul to join a strike. [Photo by Namgun Jin-woong = timeid@ajunews.com]
South Korean railway and subway workers staged a rare joint strike Tuesday in protest at a performance-based incentive wage system pushed by President Park Geun-hye as part of her economic reform package to introduce labor market flexibility.
It was the first joint strike involving railway and subway workers in 22 years. The general strike gained support from some unionized workers at government-funded hospitals and health-related state bodies.
Railroad cargo delivery has been reduced by up 30 percent, but no major disruptions in passenger services were reported in railway and subway stations in Seoul and elsewhere as temporary workers were mobilized to pinch-hit striking workers.
Labor ministry data showed less than 30,000 workers of the country's 157,000-member public transport unions were off their jobs Tuesday, while union leaders put the number of striking workers at more than 50,000.
President Park has vowed to introduce labor market flexibility. State-run companies and financial companies are under pressure to introduce the new wage system from January 1 next year.
Workers are afraid of losing important protections, arguing Park's package would result in lower wages and little job security.
Last week, more than 20,000 workers from 15 financial institutions staged a one-day strike insisting the incentive wage system could be used by banks to go ahead with easier layoffs than before.
Government officials have said the new system would provide a fair reward based on performance, urging state-run companies and financial institutions to dump an easy-going attitude and complacency.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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