The South Korean railroad strike of 2006 was a four-day walkout by members of the
Korean Railway Workers' Union employed by the
Korean National Railroad. It lasted from March 1 to March 4, when the union called a halt to the strike after most of the workers voluntarily returned to work. The number of striking workers fluctuated throughout the strike, but reached over 16,000 workers at its peak. During the strike, Korail's passenger service was decreased by 60%, on both national and
Seoul Subway
The Seoul Metropolitan Subway is a metropolitan railway system consisting of 23 rapid transit, light metro, commuter rail and people mover lines located in northwest South Korea. The system serves most of the Seoul Metropolitan Area includin ...
lines. Freight service was also greatly reduced.
The principal issue, which was not resolved during the strike, was Korail's replacement of regular long-term positions with short-term contract positions. The strike was declared illegal by the government after
emergency arbitration was imposed, and at least 411 strikers were arrested. 10 of those were indicted on charges of "interference with execution of duty," but the rest were released. 2000 union workers were also suspended by Korail during the incident.
The female
KTX
Korea Train eXpress (), often known as KTX (), is South Korea's high-speed rail system, operated by Korail. Construction began on the high-speed line from Seoul to Busan in 1992. KTX services were launched on April 1, 2004.
From Seoul Station the ...
attendants' union, whose members are not employed by Korail but by a subcontractor, continued their walkout.
See also
*
South Korean KTX Train Attendant Union Strike
References
External links
Korea Herald article
2006 labor disputes and strikes
Labour disputes in South Korea
Politics of South Korea
Rail transport in South Korea
2006 in rail transport
2006 in South Korea
Rail transport strikes
March 2006 events in South Korea
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