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A strike by the union of the Korean National Railroad was avoided at the last minute when labor and management compromised to avoid a great disturbance to the nation's transportation system. Early Sunday morning, labor and management signed an agreement on the main issues of contention, such as the reinstatement of fired employees and structural reformation.
The main points were that management's plan for a one-driver system will not go forward, and an extra 1500 people will be hired to prepare for the opening of the highspeed express railroad, 45 of them formerly laid off personnel. Management dropped its demands for compensation for damages incurred in past strikes, but kept its basic plans to outsource certain operations.
The two sides agreed that reforms would proceed according to the proposal of the presidential transition committee, and moves toward private management were canceled.
Labor achieved a significant victory, analysts said, with the rehiring point. ¡°Excluding retired employees, the actual increase in personnel will be about 1,420,¡± the railroad said.
In 2000, the government introduced a one-driver system to reduce personnel by 1,481 employees, but was unable to execute it except for the Bundang line. On the other hand, other operations downsized by 900 persons, and labor concentrated on reversing the move.
There were some obscure settlements regarding public corporation orientation. Accordingly, criticism has been voiced that the already-contorted restructuring will be postponed again.
(Lee Choong-il, cilee@chosun.com )
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