Gwangju City Council Urges Mayor Kang Gi-jung to Mediate City Bus Strike

"Despite Being the Operator of the Quasi-Public System, the City Maintains a Passive Stance"
City: "Expecting an Autonomous Agreement... Implementing Emergency Transportation Measures"

A view of Gwangju City Council.

On June 9, the Industrial and Construction Committee of the Gwangju City Council stated, "With the breakdown of wage negotiations between city bus labor and management leading to a strike, disruptions in bus operations are increasing inconvenience for citizens," and urged, "Mayor Kang Gi-jung should step in as a mediator during the bus strike."

The committee, in a statement released in the name of all its members on this day, said, "The city is operating emergency transportation measures aiming for a 70% operation rate, but this cannot be a fundamental solution." It further stated, "It is clear that the longer the strike continues, the more inconvenience citizens will face, and the greater the negative impact on the local economy."

The committee continued, "Despite growing public discontent, Gwangju City is maintaining a passive stance, saying it will simply observe negotiations between labor and management." The committee emphasized, "Under the quasi-public management system, Gwangju City is responsible for operating city buses and has an obligation to guarantee citizens' right to transportation. Therefore, as the operator of the quasi-public system, the city should not leave the resolution of the issue solely to labor-management negotiations, but must actively serve as a mediator to resolve the strike."

Additionally, the committee explained, "The core issue of this strike?wage increases?is not just a matter between labor and management, but also a public issue directly linked to the quality of public transportation services. Improving the treatment of bus drivers is a prerequisite for providing safe and high-quality public transportation services."

The committee stated, "With over 140 billion won of taxpayers' money being invested through the quasi-public management system, it is unacceptable to leave wage negotiations entirely to management." The committee reiterated, "This is no longer the time to stand by with folded arms. Mayor Kang Gi-jung must immediately form a tripartite consultative body with both labor and management to establish a dialogue channel and actively work toward a reasonable solution."

The committee added, "As the party responsible for the quasi-public management system, it is urgent for the mayor of Gwangju to make responsible mediation efforts to resolve the strike as soon as possible," and strongly urged, "Do your utmost to guarantee citizens' right to transportation."

In response, Gwangju City issued a statement on the same day, saying, "Currently, 887 buses, which account for 88% of all buses in Gwangju, are in operation. The city hopes that the best possible agreement will be reached autonomously between labor and management." The city also stated, "To minimize inconvenience to citizens caused by the strike, we will maintain the highest possible bus operation rate and implement every possible measure, including emergency transportation measures such as adding 12 extra subway runs."

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