SEOUL – Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon announced on Monday his commitment to a planned workforce reduction for Seoul Metro, the operator of the city’s subway system, despite looming threats of a strike by unionized subway workers.
According to a new release by Yonhap News Agency, overseen by the Seoul city government, has disclosed plans to reduce its workforce by 2,212 employees, or 13.5%, by 2026. The aim is to resolve the organization’s chronic deficit and streamline its management. Unionized workers, however, have threatened a strike scheduled for November 9 in opposition to the manpower reduction plan, arguing that the cuts could compromise safety.
During a parliamentary inspection session at Seoul City Hall, Mayor Oh reaffirmed his commitment to implementing the workforce reduction plan by 2026 without alteration. He assured that concerns about public safety due to the downsizing would be addressed by improving the company’s work patterns. “It is necessary to expand safety personnel to make citizens feel safe from subway crimes and other things. We’ll supplement the company’s working patterns by managing manpower flexibly and efficiently according to time slots,” Oh said.