Unionized Seoul subway workers will vote on Friday to decide whether they should launch a general strike as labor and management of Seoul's city-run subway operator are facing difficulty in negotiating wages and new hires.

According to Seoul Metro, which operates subway Lines One through Eight and part of Line Nine, the Seoul Transit Corporation Labor Union and management held 19 rounds of negotiations through late October but failed to reach an agreement. 

With no agreement in sight, the union requested the Seoul National Labor Relations Commission for mediation on November 1. 

If the dispute is not settled by Friday, the union plans to put to a vote a motion on whether to stage a strike from Friday to Monday. 

If the union votes for a strike, it is set to hold a news conference next Tuesday to announce its plans on launching the walkout.