Unionized workers of the city-run Seoul Metro will stage a second round of strikes starting November 22.

Having staged a two-day warning strike last week calling on management to withdraw its job-cutting plan, workers associated with the umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU) announced on Wednesday that it will indefinitely carry on with the upcoming group action.

At a press conference, union leader Myung Soon-pil criticized the city government and the subway operator for violating a related law and an earlier collective agreement to fill vacancies created by retirements.

Seoul Metro plans to lay off two-thousand-212 workers, or around 13-point-five percent of its workforce, by 2026 to improve its finances amid a substantial deficit.

During the last round of negotiations on November 8, management had proposed hiring 660 new workers in the second half of this year, up from the previously planned 388.

The labor group, however, demanded 868 additional hires to guarantee two-person on-site teams, consignment workers, and replacements for those retiring.

The union left the door open for future negotiations, but management issued a statement last Thursday ramping up pressure on it and demanding a withdrawal of the "unjust" strike.

Meanwhile, Seoul Metro's workers affiliated with two other labor groups, including those under another umbrella Federation of Korean Trade Unions(FKTU), are not expected to take part in the upcoming collective action.