South Korean union vows general strike for rail workers

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has more than 690,000 members from sectors including construction and public transport and any stoppage could bring the country to a halt.

Workers with the state-run Korea Railroad walked off the job in protest against a decision to set up a unit to run a high-speed bullet train, which they say will lead to privatization and layoffs. Hundreds of riot police stormed into the umbrella group’s head office on Sunday in a bid to arrest union leaders. They detained about 130 strikers and confederation members.

“The KCTU will show our anger by action, not words, against infringement of KCTU,” the confederation said in a statement on Monday, promising an all-out strike from Dec. 28.

Freight trains are running at 54 per cent normal frequency and passengers trains at 58 per cent. That frequency will be reduced further this week.

The strikers want the company to withdraw the plan to set up a separate unit, and Park doesn’t want to back down. She said the government would not give way in what has become the longest strike to hit the railway. “We can’t promise a future if we compromise without principles just because it is difficult,” Park said on Monday. The government has repeatedly denied planning to privatize the railway, but Park’s approval ratings have sagged since the strike began.

A Gallup Korea poll showed on Friday that her approval ratings had fallen to 48 percent, the lowest since May.