Will Buses Nationwide Stop on the 28th?... Why Unions Are Seeking 'Simultaneous Mediation'

Nationwide Bus Unions to File for Simultaneous Mediation on May 12
"Ordinary Wage Issue Is Not a Matter for Collective Bargaining"
Seoul Bus Union May Escalate Industrial Action

There is a looming crisis that could bring bus services across the country to a halt on May 28. As negotiations between labor and management over ordinary wages for Seoul buses have broken down, 22 regional bus unions under the Korea Automobile Workers' Federation have announced that they will launch a general strike if wage and collective bargaining agreements are not reached.

According to the Korea Automobile Workers' Federation on May 9, bus unions from 22 regions, including Seoul and Busan, held a national representatives' meeting the previous day and made this decision. They plan to simultaneously file for mediation on May 12, and if negotiations fail after a 15-day mediation period, they will begin a simultaneous strike starting with the first bus on May 28. If the strike materializes, not only city buses but also express and village buses are expected to participate, potentially halting the operation of around 40,000 buses nationwide.

An official from the Korea Automobile Workers' Federation stated, "So far, only Seoul has completed the mediation process; the other regions are only now at the stage of applying for mediation." Once mediation is requested, mediation meetings will be held in each region, and as the mediation deadline approaches, votes will be conducted to decide whether or not to strike.

The reason behind the nationwide bus unions' decision to consider a 'simultaneous strike' is the concern that if the issue of ordinary wages is accepted in the Seoul city bus negotiations, it could set a precedent for other regions. A Seoul bus union official said, "When wage and collective bargaining agreements are made, if a proposal passes in Seoul or Busan, it is often applied as is by other local governments, so there is a sense of crisis that this is not just a problem for Seoul." Accordingly, the 22 bus unions under the Korea Automobile Workers' Federation have decided to make it clear during this round of negotiations that the issue of ordinary wages should be resolved by judicial authorities, not through negotiations.

The Seoul bus union, which has already secured the right to strike through mediation, plans to maintain legal operations until May 27. The union stated, "If the Seoul city government or management fails to negotiate in good faith, or continues to make unilateral demands to abandon ordinary wages?effectively refusing to negotiate?then we will escalate our industrial action, including partial strikes, even before May 28."