|
It was almost business as usual in the nation¡¯s rail and subway services after the union of Korea Railroad on Saturday ended a strike that paralyzed parts of the nation¡¯s transport system for days. Subways in Seoul and nearby Gyeonggi Province as well as the high-speed KTX train resumed normal service on Sunday. Other rail services, the Saemaeul and Mugunghwa express trains and freight services will resume fully on Monday. KORAIL suspended 2,244 unionists from their jobs including 387 the firm says were the organizers.
A KORAIL official said as many as 12,000 unionists who refused to return to work after the firm¡¯s ultimatum face a reprimand but added the standard and extent of disciplinary action against them are under discussion. KORAIL has a five-level disciplinary system where suspension and dismissal are the two most severe.
Yet the aftermath of the strike may be more serious than expected. Though 2,000 KORAIL unionists congregated in Seoul¡¯s Yongsan Station to announce an end to the all-out strike, they said they will continue their struggle after returning to work. The suspended 2,244 account for 8.8 percent of the 25,510 unionists. If they do not return to work, it would hobble the nation¡¯s railway services. The firm is setting up a disciplinary committee to consider ways of revoking some of the suspensions.
¡°The strike dealt a heavy blow to the national economy, so management and union both stand to lose from it,¡± said KORAIL president Lee Chul. ¡°We should use this incident to seek new labor-management relations that respect law and common sense.¡±
The prosecution and police, meanwhile, will continued to hunt 26 union leaders for whom arrest warrants were issued despite the end of the walkout. The strike was technically illegal since it went ahead after the National Labor Relations Commission decided to invoke its emergency arbitration right.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
