[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Sang-hyun] City buses in Geoje, Gyeongnam are facing the risk of suspension.
On the 24th at 3 PM, the two city bus labor-management teams of Geoje City, Samhwa Passenger Transport and Seil Transportation, held a second mediation meeting at the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Commission. However, due to significant differences between labor and management, the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Commission decided to suspend mediation, indicating a breakdown in negotiations, after about an hour of meeting.
On that day, the bus companies proposed a wage reduction plan, and the meeting ended without proper negotiations. After the mediation meeting broke down, both labor and management declared that there would be no further negotiations, making the suspension of city bus operations on the 25th inevitable. There are only two city bus companies in Geoje City. These two companies operate 108 city buses daily.
With the decision to suspend mediation, the unions of the two Geoje city bus companies will stop bus operations from the first bus at 4:50 PM on the 25th. The unions of the two Geoje city bus companies attempted to start a strike on the 4th. Geoje City, which intervened in labor-management mediation, guaranteed a 2.62% wage increase, promised to resolve unpaid wages, and to establish measures for overdue four major insurances by the end of June, leading the unions to postpone the strike at the last moment.
However, although Geoje City provided subsidies to the two bus companies on the condition of wage payment, the unions decided to strike again as the bus drivers did not receive bonuses.
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