Changwon City Issues Statement Welcoming the End of the City Bus Strike

Mayor Heo Seong-mu: "We will enhance the introduction of the semi-public transportation system, development, and rationality of the revenue structure"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Hwang Choi Hyun-joo] The labor union of city buses in Changwon, Gyeongnam, which had caused public anxiety by announcing a long-term strike, and the management reached a wage negotiation agreement, prompting Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon to issue a statement of welcome on the 3rd.

Mayor Heo first apologized to the citizens who experienced great inconvenience due to the city bus strike. He acknowledged that although the complete suspension of bus operations was brief?the first in 15 years?the significant inconvenience experienced underscored the need for innovation in the public transportation system.

In his statement, Mayor Heo promised to enhance the rationality of the bus revenue structure and operational efficiency by establishing an integrated calculation system for city bus financial support, to develop and introduce a quasi-public operation system, to completely reorganize routes according to citizens' daily travel patterns, and to sequentially introduce new transportation modes such as S-BRT (Super Bus Rapid Transit).

The labor unions and management of six city bus companies in Changwon underwent mediation meetings at the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Relations Commission until late on the night of the 29th of last month. However, negotiations broke down, leading to the suspension of operations for 489 out of 720 buses starting early on the 30th.

Although a prolonged strike was anticipated, on the 2nd, the labor and management reached a dramatic agreement including a 2% wage increase and the introduction of a 50,000 KRW accident-free allowance, leading the union to call off the strike and resume normal operations.

The city bus strike was not only due to failed wage negotiations but also related to preparations for the introduction of the ‘Changwon-type Bus Quasi-Public Operation System’ scheduled for March next year. This year in January, the ‘Integrated Calculation System’ for bus financial support was implemented. The newly introduced system differs from the previous method, which supported finances separately for profitable trunk routes and deficit-ridden branch routes, by combining trunk and branch routes to evaluate overall profitability before providing financial support.

Consequently, the management expressed dissatisfaction with the city's new financial support system, which does not guarantee excess profits for trunk routes, and operational challenges due to decreased passengers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. These factors are analyzed to have contributed to a decline in the atmosphere and increased dissatisfaction during wage negotiations between labor and management.

Meanwhile, the city had prepared plans to deploy additional charter buses from the 3rd in anticipation of a prolonged city bus strike. However, with the strike ending in four days over the weekend, it is expected that the city can now actively commence the reorganization of the public transportation system.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.