Gwangju City Bus Strike... City Implements Emergency Transportation Measures

Emergency Deployment of Non-Union Drivers to Maintain 70% Operation Rate
Requests for Adjusted School Hours, Flexible Commuting, and Carpooling

Gwangju City Bus. Yonhap News

As the city bus union began a full-scale strike on June 5, the Gwangju city government is implementing emergency transportation measures, including the urgent deployment of non-union personnel. The city initiated these emergency measures after the third round of wage and collective bargaining mediation for city buses by the Jeonnam Regional Labor Relations Commission broke down, raising concerns about disruptions to bus operations due to the strike by the Gwangju bus union.

To minimize inconvenience to citizens, the city plans to urgently deploy non-union drivers and maintain a city bus operation rate of 70 percent, or 700 buses. If the strike is prolonged and driver fatigue accumulates, the city intends to introduce chartered buses.

Information on changed routes and timetables due to reduced city bus operations is being provided through the Gwangju City Bus Information System and the Bitgoeul Call Center at 120. The city will also expand the operation of other transportation means, such as urban rail and taxis. In cooperation with district offices, the Office of Education, public institutions, and businesses, the city will actively promote measures such as adjusting school hours, expanding flexible work hours for commuting, and carpooling campaigns.

In particular, the city plans to form on-site inspection teams with district offices, the police, and bus companies to strictly prevent any union interference with non-union bus operations. To reduce inconvenience and confusion among citizens, the city will post information about the strike situation, changed city bus schedules, and requests for cooperation at bus stops and disseminate this information through various online and offline media channels.

Bae Sangyoung, head of the Public Transportation Division, stated, "The purpose of the quasi-public operation of city buses is to provide stable convenience for citizens, so we hope the union will withdraw the city bus strike and find an amicable agreement through dialogue with management."

Meanwhile, the Gwangju bus union is demanding an 8.2 percent increase in base salary and an extension of the retirement age from 61 to 65. In contrast, management maintains its position to freeze wages at last year's level, citing increased transportation deficits.

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