Seoul city bus union goes on indefinite strike
A long line of people wait for a taxi at the Seoul Station bus transfer center, Tuesday, after Seoul's city bus union launched a full strike earlier in the day. Yonhap
Seoul’s city bus union launched a full strike starting with the first buses early Tuesday morning, after last-minute wage talks with management collapsed overnight, causing commuting disruptions amid a severe wave of cold weather.
Negotiations between the union and management lasted more than 10 hours and continued past midnight under mediation by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission. Despite extending talks beyond a self-imposed deadline, the two sides failed to reach an agreement. The union proceeded with a strike at 4 a.m., affecting all 18,700 union members across 64 bus companies.
The dispute centers on how to apply a Supreme Court ruling that recognized bonuses as part of ordinary wages. Management proposed revising the wage system by folding bonuses into base pay and offered a wage increase in the low double-digit range.
Buses are parked at a public depot in Seoul, Tuesday, as Seoul's city bus labor union launched a strike earlier in the day. Yonhap
The union rejected any wage system overhaul, instead demanding a 3 percent pay raise this year and an extension of the retirement age to 65. Management countered that the proposal could result in an effective wage increase of nearly 20 percent, calling the demand excessive.
The strike is expected to halt operations of about 7,300 buses on roughly 390 routes in Seoul, with spillover effects on routes serving parts of Gyeonggi Province. Seoul and Gyeonggi authorities plan to activate emergency transport measures, including expanded subway services, shuttle buses and additional vehicles, as well as extended late-night train operations to mitigate commuter inconvenience.
Bus arrival information is displayed on a screen at a bus station in Seoul, early Tuesday, after Seoul's city bus labor union launched a full strike earlier in the day. Yonhap