'Avoided Commute Disruptions' Seoul, Busan Bus Labor Negotiations 'Settled'... Strike Withdrawn

Seoul Bus Labor and Management Reach Dramatic Agreement on 5% Wage Increase... Busan, Jeju, Changwon Labor and Management Also Reach Agreements
Gyeonggi Province 'Postpones Strike', Daegu Extends Mediation Meeting Deadline
'Jeon-guk Jang-aein Chabyeol Cheolpae Yeondae' Subway Protest Group Also Temporarily Suspends Protests Until Next Month 2

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The major bus unions nationwide, including Seoul, which had announced a general strike on the 26th, reached a last-minute agreement, deciding to extend the mediation deadline and postpone the strike, thus avoiding the anticipated commuting disruptions. Additionally, the National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which had been staging subway protests during the morning commute demanding increased budgets for disability rights, also decided to temporarily suspend protests until the 2nd of next month, thereby averting a transportation crisis for now.

According to Seoul City on the 26th, the wage negotiations between the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association and the labor union reached a dramatic agreement on a 5% wage increase around 1:20 a.m., 2 hours and 40 minutes before the scheduled strike time of 4 a.m. Although the second local labor relations commission mediation meeting held on the 25th failed to find common ground by midnight, additional negotiations continued, culminating in the signing of the 2022 wage agreement adjustment.

Previously, the union demanded a wage increase of 322,276 KRW (8.09%) this year, but the management insisted on freezing wages again this year following last year, resulting in no agreement. On the 19th, the union passed the strike proposal with an 87.3% approval rate in a strike vote.

Seoul City stated that the agreement reflects the rise in living costs while minimizing the increase in financial burden, achieving a reasonable level of improvement in the treatment of transportation workers following last year’s wage freeze. With the dramatic resolution of wage negotiations, all city bus routes operated normally, and plans to deploy substitute public transportation such as subways and charter buses in case of a strike were reverted to regular schedules.

Baek Ho, Director of Seoul City Urban Transportation Office, said, “We thank the related agencies and autonomous districts for their cooperation in preparing emergency transportation measures,” and added, “Going forward, the city bus labor and management and Seoul City will work together to provide safe transportation services to the best of our ability.”

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The first breakthrough between labor and management was found in Gyeongnam. The Gyeongnam intercity bus labor and management reached an agreement on the wage negotiation proposal first at 10:10 p.m. the previous day, and labor and management in Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Changwon, and other areas also reached wage agreements sequentially in the early morning after intense negotiations. The Seoul city bus labor and management reached an agreement at 1:20 a.m., while Busan and Jeju labor and management reached agreements 1 hour and 50 minutes before the first bus operation, respectively.

Gyeonggi Province, where the differences were significant, did not reach an agreement but decided to withdraw the labor dispute mediation application and postpone the strike. The Gyeonggi Regional Automobile Labor Union decided to observe the efforts of Gyeonggi Province and management during the negotiation process. In the negotiations that day, Gyeonggi Province and management agreed to strive to reflect demands such as “realizing wages lower than neighboring quasi-public transportation areas” based on the results of the Gyeonggi quasi-public transportation cost re-estimation study due in September, “raising the wage limit for drivers eligible for a five-day workweek,” and “introducing late-night operation allowances and double-decker bus operation allowances.”

Subsequently, the Daegu city bus labor and management also extended the deadline for the second dispute mediation meeting to 6 p.m. that day, and the Jeonbuk bus industry also reached a partial agreement after negotiations over whether to strike.

Following the buses, subway commuters also had immediate relief. The National Solidarity for the Elimination of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, which had been protesting in the subway during the morning commute demanding guaranteed budgets for disability rights, decided to suspend protests until the personnel hearing on the 2nd, awaiting the position announcement of Choo Kyung-ho, the nominee for Minister of Strategy and Finance.

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