Eleventh-hour negotiations between the labor union of the Seoul subway service and management began on Wednesday, only for the two sides to withdraw almost immediately to fine-tune their stances.

The talks began at Seoul Metro’s headquarters in the capital at 3 p.m. after ten previous rounds of negotiations since July all ended in a stalemate over a manpower reduction.

The meeting was paused a mere two minutes after starting as the sides sought to huddle over their respective positions, with representatives now discussing reconvening negotiations.

The talks were called after Seoul Metro disclosed a plan to reduce its workforce by two-thousand-212 employees, or 13-point-five percent by 2026, to overcome chronic deficits while normalizing management.

The unionized workers threatened to stage a one-day strike on Thursday in response to the proposed plan, arguing that excessive downsizing could lead to safety and service quality issues.