Plans for Joint Response Including Sharing of Wage Negotiation Status
As labor and management of Seoul city buses remain at odds over the issue of ordinary wages, local governments operating the quasi-public bus system have convened a joint meeting to address the matter.
On May 7, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would hold a municipal-level meeting to respond to the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on ordinary wages in relation to the quasi-public bus system. This meeting was initiated at the suggestion of Incheon City and will be attended by representatives from Busan, Daejeon, Daegu, Gwangju, Ulsan, Gyeonggi Province, Jeju Province, and Changwon.
On the 30th of last month, labor negotiations between Seoul city bus workers and management broke down, leading to a legal strike. The legal strike involved buses departing only after confirming that all passengers were fully seated or holding onto handrails. City bus drivers avoided sudden acceleration, abrupt braking, rapid lane changes, door-opening departures, and cutting in. On May 7, 2025, a city bus driving through Seoul was moving slowly with its hazard lights on. Photo by Dongju Yoon
This meeting was organized in recognition of the need for a joint response among local governments, as it is expected that the recent breakdown in wage negotiations over ordinary wage issues for Seoul city bus drivers will become a contentious issue for other municipalities as well.
Previously, the Supreme Court's full bench ruled in December of last year that regular bonuses must be included in ordinary wages. The Seoul Metropolitan Government estimates that if bonuses are reflected in ordinary wages in addition to the base salary increase demanded by the Seoul city bus union, labor costs would rise by approximately 300 billion won. The Seoul Bus Transportation Business Association, representing management, maintains that the existing wage system was established on the premise that bonuses were not included in ordinary wages, and therefore, the wage structure must be revised in accordance with the Supreme Court's new legal interpretation. In contrast, the union argues that since this issue is currently under review by the courts and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, it cannot be addressed within the framework of collective bargaining.
At the meeting, the local governments plan to discuss the main points and issues of the Supreme Court's ordinary wage ruling, the status of wage and collective bargaining negotiations in each region, ways to strengthen cooperation among municipalities, and joint countermeasures. They also intend to address the potential ripple effects of a widening wage gap between city bus drivers and other transportation sectors due to a sharp rise in labor costs, as well as the possibility that the outcome of wage negotiations in one municipality could set a precedent for others. In addition, they will discuss institutional measures to prevent a sharp increase in transportation costs under the quasi-public system as a result of labor-management wage negotiations.
The participating local governments agreed to hold regular meetings in the future and to jointly respond to common issues such as ordinary wages.
Yeo Jangkwon, Director of Transportation for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "The issue of ordinary wages is not unique to Seoul but is a matter that has nationwide implications, making the need for a joint response all the more urgent. Through this discussion, we aim to consolidate the opinions of local governments nationwide and strive to provide stable transportation services to citizens in the long term."
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