A strike by 22,000 railroad workers shut down two-thirds of the countryÂ’s passenger railway network and almost 90 percent of its freight service over the weekend and was poised to continue, as parliament passed a bill designed to set the stage for privatization of the rail system. That move prompted KoreaÂ’s two largest labor unions, representing 1.5 million workers, to stage separate rallies and suggested strikes in other sectors. The current rail strikes caused commuters in Seoul to rely on buses and taxis, disrupted rail travel between cities and clogged roads with cars. An ongoing strike could paralyze transit and the movement of goods in and out of the country. Cargo is already piling up in the ports.
