The government said on Sunday that unionized rail workers’ recent decision to walk out to resist the proposed partial privatization of KTX bullet-train operations is clearly illegal and should be scrapped.

“An introduction of competition (into the KTX operations) will promote the interest of the people and the nation and is a future-oriented move,” the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said in a statement.

“It is problematic for Korail to claim vested rights and a monopoly on publicly owned KTX infrastructures.”

The statement came as local unionized rail workers endorsed an anti-privatization strike with an approval rate of 86 percent in an April 20 vote arranged by the Korean Railway Workers’ Union. The union said the timing for the actual strike will be linked to the government’s plan to introduce competition into the KTX operations.

“Going on strike to resist a government policy is clearly an illegality. People should not be inconvenienced by an attempt by some 30,000 rail workers to protect their vested rights,” said the statement. “Korail runs an operating deficit of 400 billion won ($355 million) to 500 billion won every year, while the annual wage of its workers reaches 60 million to 70 million won. Their illegal strike can hardly be accepted, particularly when many youths remain unemployed,” it noted.

A government plan calls for allowing a private company to operate parts of KTX bullet train services, starting in 2015. The government insists that if a private enterprise enters the railroad sector, it will boost the efficiency of railway operations and consequently reduce train fares. 

(Yonhap News)