Labor and management at Seoul Metro, which operates part of Seoul Subway Line 9, reached a deal on wages and a collective agreement on the 11th. The union withdrew the strike it had planned for the day.
Seoul Metro's Line 9 operating division said around 5 a.m. that it had reached a tentative agreement in labor talks with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Public Transport Workers' Union Line 9 branch.
The two sides are responsible for the Section 2 and 3 stretch of Line 9 from Eonju Station to Jungang Veterans' Hospital Station. The union had planned to launch a strike starting the day if talks broke down.
The key issues were wage increases and adding staff. They continued negotiations after the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission halted special mediation on Sept. 8.
On the day, labor and management tentatively agreed to raise wages within 3% of total labor costs and gradually bring them up to the same level as Lines 1–8. They also agreed to continue discussions on staffing.
The union plans to hold a ratification vote on the tentative agreement.
Choi Yong-ho, head of Seoul Metro's Line 9 operations, said, "We did our best in negotiations so a strike would not materialize and inconvenience citizens."
Kim Sung-min, head of the Line 9 branch, said, "As we reached an agreement based on trust between labor and management, we will maintain a healthy labor-management relationship."
Meanwhile, for Section 1 of Line 9, the wage and collective agreement has already been concluded.