Unionized railway workers to return to work after reaching tentative wage deal

A notice about train operation adjustments due to the anticipated strike is shown at Seoul Station, Dec. 4. Yonhap

Korea Railroad (KORAIL) and its unionized workers reached a tentative wage deal Wednesday, nearly a week after railway workers launched a full-scale strike over the deal.

Following the breakthrough, the union plans to withdraw its walkout from 7 p.m. and have their workers return to work.

The tentative deal is subject to a vote by union members before it is finalized.

The agreement came a day after the two sides resumed negotiations over issues including raising its base pay, according to KORAIL and the Korean Railway Workers' Union.

The union launched an indefinite strike last Thursday as the two sides failed to narrow differences over a wage hike and other working conditions.

"The management and union managed to come to an overwhelming consensus on issues including pay raises, bonuses, normalization of overdue pay, a four-team double shift system, reinforcement of personnel and introducing a promotion point system," a union official said, adding all trains will operate normally from "as early as the first train tomorrow." (Yonhap)