Gwangju City Bus Labor-Management Wage Talks 'Break Down Again'...Strike to Continue Through Weekend

On the morning of the 5th, when the Gwangju city bus union went on a full strike, citizens were waiting for buses at a bus stop in Chipyeongdong, Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

The negotiations between the Gwangju city bus labor union and management, which have been mired in wage and collective bargaining agreement disputes, have once again broken down, indicating that the strike is likely to continue for the time being.

According to the Gwangju Regional Bus Labor Union of the Korea Automobile & Transport Workers’ Federation on June 14, both sides attempted another round of post-mediation talks the previous afternoon, with the Jeonnam Regional Labor Relations Commission acting as mediator. This was the third mediation attempt by the commission.

The union, which had initially demanded an 8.2% wage increase, lowered its demand to a 5% increase. The management, which had previously insisted on a wage freeze, proposed a 2.5% increase.

Although both sides appeared to make some concessions, they ultimately failed to bridge the gap, resulting in a breakdown of negotiations. Consequently, the union has decided to continue the strike after the weekend.

The management and the Gwangju city government plan to maintain 70-80% of normal bus operations by deploying non-union drivers as part of emergency transportation measures.

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