Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
New Busan Metro chief joins talks ahead of threatened strike
Kim Tae-ho took office as head of Busan Transportation Corporation on Oct.
22 and joined talks with the company’s union.
The union has threatened to strike from the first train on Oct.
23 if the talks fail.
The dispute concerns staffing for the Yangsan Line, due to open in December.
The union wants about 700 more workers, while the company says it cannot accept the demand under its total personnel-cost guidelines.
The sides have held 18 rounds of talks since May, and labor mediation also ended without agreement.
A strike would be the first at the company since 2019; the talks are aimed at reaching a deal before service is disrupted.
Busan Transportation Corp.’s new chief, Kim Tae-ho, joined labor talks on October 22, a day before the union threatened to strike.
The union said it would begin a strike with the first train on October 23 if the final negotiations failed.
The dispute centers on staffing for the Yangsan Line, scheduled to open in December.
The union is seeking more than 700 additional hires, while the company says it cannot accept the demand under its total personnel-cost guidelines.
The two sides had held 18 rounds of talks since May without reaching an agreement.
- Who
- Busan Transportation Corp. chief Kim Tae-ho joined talks with the company’s labor union.
- What
- The sides held final collective bargaining talks ahead of a threatened strike.
- When
- October 22, 2026; the union threatened to strike from the first train on October 23 if talks failed.
- Where
- Nopo Vehicle Depot in Busan.
- Why
- They disagreed over staffing for the Yangsan Line, due to open in December.
Busan Transportation Corp. labor union
Busan Transportation Corp.
Staffing
Busan Transportation Corp. labor union
The union is seeking more than 700 additional hires in connection with the Yangsan Line’s opening.
Busan Transportation Corp.
The company says it cannot accept the demand under total personnel-cost guidelines.
The company and union held 18 rounds of collective bargaining without reaching an agreement.
Mediation by the Busan Regional Labor Relations Commission ended without a settlement.
Kim Tae-ho received his appointment letter from Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-su.
Kim took office and joined the company’s negotiating team for talks scheduled at 3 p.m.
The union said it would begin a strike with the first train if the final negotiations failed.
- New chief
- Kim Tae-ho, the company’s ninth chief
- Talks
- 18 rounds since May
- Union demand
- More than 700 additional hires
- Yangsan Line
- Scheduled to open in December
- Strike threat
- From the first train on October 23, if talks fail
1 source
What people are saying
As urban rail is a key means of transportation that shares citizens’ daily lives, stable operations are more important than anything else.
Drawing on my experience in railway operations, I will do my utmost to reach an amicable settlement through sufficient communication between labor and management.