By Kim Jae-won
The strike by thousands of unionized workers from the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) entered its 11th day, Thursday, with the two sides showing no sign of compromise as the walkout has become the longest rail strike here ever.
Unionists have opposed the company's decision to set up an affiliate which will run a separate new KTX train service from Suseo, southern Seoul, concerned that it is the first step to privatize the firm.
The ultimatum for a return to work issued by management passed with only 62 workers reporting for duty.
Thousands of KORAIL workers staged a rally at Seoul Plaza urging the government and the company to scrap the plan to establish the Suseo KTX subsidiary.
Police raided four more offices of the union, deepening the conflict between labor and management. Armed with court-issued warrants, officers seized documents during the simultaneous raid at the regional head offices of the union in Daejeon, Busan, Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, and Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
The raid came two days after police searched the union's headquarters near Yongsan Station in central Seoul and another office in the capital.
Along with the search, police say they are looking for 25 striking leaders, including Kim Myung-hwan, the union head, with court-issued warrants. Police said they will request arrest warrants for more union members if necessary.
KORAIL has been forced to cut its KTX passenger services by 17 percent and freight services by 55 percent.
Choi Yeon-hye, the first female president and CEO of the company, has responded strongly to what she calls an "illegal walkout," removing over 7,600 participants from their positions and filing charges against 190 strike leaders for causing "huge financial losses."
The strike by thousands of unionized workers from the state-run Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL) entered its 11th day, Thursday, with the two sides showing no sign of compromise as the walkout has become the longest rail strike here ever.
Unionists have opposed the company's decision to set up an affiliate which will run a separate new KTX train service from Suseo, southern Seoul, concerned that it is the first step to privatize the firm.
The ultimatum for a return to work issued by management passed with only 62 workers reporting for duty.
Thousands of KORAIL workers staged a rally at Seoul Plaza urging the government and the company to scrap the plan to establish the Suseo KTX subsidiary.
Police raided four more offices of the union, deepening the conflict between labor and management. Armed with court-issued warrants, officers seized documents during the simultaneous raid at the regional head offices of the union in Daejeon, Busan, Suncheon, South Jeolla Province, and Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.
The raid came two days after police searched the union's headquarters near Yongsan Station in central Seoul and another office in the capital.
Along with the search, police say they are looking for 25 striking leaders, including Kim Myung-hwan, the union head, with court-issued warrants. Police said they will request arrest warrants for more union members if necessary.
KORAIL has been forced to cut its KTX passenger services by 17 percent and freight services by 55 percent.
Choi Yeon-hye, the first female president and CEO of the company, has responded strongly to what she calls an "illegal walkout," removing over 7,600 participants from their positions and filing charges against 190 strike leaders for causing "huge financial losses."
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