After Mediation in Gyeonggi-do, City Bus Labor and Management Reach Agreement, 'General Strike Withdrawn'

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (second from the left) is taking a commemorative photo after reaching an agreement on the wages of city bus workers in the province on the night of the 25th.

The total strike of Gyeonggi-do city buses, scheduled for the 26th, was dramatically resolved through mediation by Gyeonggi-do.

On the night of the 25th, Gyeonggi-do acted as a mediator in the final negotiations between the Gyeonggi-do Bus Labor Union Council and the employer group, the Gyeonggi-do Bus Operators Association, leading to a labor-management agreement on a 4% wage increase for quasi-public transportation workers and a 4.5% wage increase for private transportation workers.

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi-do, visited the final adjustment meeting of the Gyeonggi Provincial Labor Commission that day and said, "I am pleased that the buses, which are the means of transportation for the residents, will operate normally tomorrow," and congratulated the negotiation settlement by saying, "Gyeonggi-do has cooperated with the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly and both ruling and opposition parties without ideological distinctions, and our labor and management have also transcended boundaries to reach a grand settlement for the residents."

He added, "I heard that the quasi-public transportation system was an issue. I ask for your understanding regarding the transition of all city bus routes to a public management system by 2027, and I promise to proceed by listening to the opinions of both labor and management without any setbacks."

Lee Ki-cheon, Chairman of the Gyeonggi-do Bus Labor Union Council, said, "I understand that you are still in mourning until today, so I am sorry for making you come," and added, "Buses are really in a poor condition, and workers suffer from low wages and long working hours. I believe that necessary parts will be improved institutionally and that there will be significant investment."

Governor Kim also visited the negotiation site in September last year when wage negotiations between the Gyeonggi-do Bus Labor Union Council and management reached a deadlock, promising to implement the quasi-public transportation system within his term to resolve wage disparities with other metropolitan areas, thereby leading to a labor-management agreement.