Negotiations Fail After 14 Hours, 724 Changwon City Buses Halted Indefinitely

Changwon City Attaches Banners and Notices to Temporary Buses and Taxis

The labor union of city buses in Changwon, Gyeongnam, launched a total strike on the 19th due to the breakdown of wage collective bargaining between the bus company and the union.

During the final mediation meeting held at the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Commission from 3 p.m. on the 18th, the labor and management sides confirmed only their differences after 14 hours of negotiations and ultimately turned their backs on each other.

City buses in Changwon, which have entered a total strike, are parked at the Deokdong Public Parking Lot in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam.
[Photo by Changwon Jungbu Police Station]

Although the union, which initially demanded a 7.4% wage increase, seemed to make progress by accepting the 3.5% recommendation proposed by the Gyeongnam Labor Commission, the negotiations broke down due to unresolved disagreements over retirement age extension and other welfare benefits.

According to the city, 724 buses from nine Changwon city bus companies stopped operating, while two companies operating intercity buses and three village bus companies did not participate in the strike.

The city deployed 142 charter buses, 10 city hall buses, and 800 corporate and private taxis on bus routes to replace the buses on strike.

Temporary city bus banners and route numbers were displayed on rental buses and taxis.
[Photo by Changwon Jungbu Police Station, Gyeongnam]

Each temporary bus was equipped with banners and route numbers indicating it was a "Temporary City Bus," and the same information was displayed on the front electronic signboards.

Route number notices were attached to the side of the vehicle entrances, and to assist citizens boarding and alighting from the buses, 364 people including members of the neighborhood association and staff from the city’s Construction and Transportation Bureau were mobilized to ride along.

Printed route number signs were also placed on the passenger-side window glass of the rented taxis.

The temporary buses are free to use, but taxis require a fare of 1,000 won per person.

The collected fares are expected to be paid as income to the drivers.

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