Labor and management of Seoul's city-run subway operator sat down for negotiations on Tuesday, one day ahead of a planned second general strike. 

The Seoul Metro, which operates subway Lines One through Eight and part of Line Nine, and unions affiliated with both of the nation's major umbrella groups began negotiating from 4 p.m.

Labor and management remain at odds over the management's plan to reduce its workforce by two-thousand-212 employees, or 13-point-five percent, by 2026, in a bid to overcome chronic deficits. 

Labor has called on management to scrap such a plan, saying the workforce reduction could lead to safety problems. 

During previous negotiations on November 8, management proposed 660 new hires in the second half of this year, up from the previously planned 388, to which the union demanded 868 to guarantee two-person on-site teams, consignment workers, and retirement replacements.

Earlier on Monday, the spokesperson for the Seoul municipal government said the city will respond sternly to illegal strikes in accordance with principles.