In Changwon, Gyeongnam, city buses?often called the "lifeline of citizens"?are once again on the verge of coming to a halt.
The Changwon City Bus Labor Union announced that, following the breakdown of the 2025 wage and collective bargaining negotiations, 85.6% of all employees voted in favor of a strike in a vote held on the 23rd.
Out of 1,621 union members from the nine city bus companies operating under the quasi-public system, 1,455 participated in the vote, and 1,387 voted in favor of the strike, thereby granting the union the legal right to strike.
Accordingly, the union plans to suspend bus operations starting with the first buses on the 28th, if the second round of mediation scheduled for the 27th at the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Relations Commission fails to reach an agreement.
The strike would affect 669 buses, accounting for 95% of all city buses in Changwon.
City buses that went on strike in April 2023 are parked at Deokdong Public Garage in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryung
Previously, the labor and management of the nine city bus companies held five rounds of negotiations and two preliminary mediation sessions since December 20 of last year for the 2025 wage and collective bargaining agreement.
The two sides have remained at odds over how to reform and apply the wage system in response to the Supreme Court's en banc ruling on December 19 of last year, which changed the criteria for ordinary wages.
If the ordinary wage?which serves as the basis for calculating allowances and severance pay?increases, various statutory allowances also rise. Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that regular bonuses must be included as part of the ordinary wage.
In response, management has proposed minimizing the wage increase effect resulting from the ordinary wage ruling by restructuring the wage system in this round of negotiations. In contrast, the union insists that ordinary wage issues and wage negotiations should be handled separately.
After remaining at an impasse, both sides applied for mediation with the Gyeongnam Regional Labor Relations Commission on the 12th, but failed to reach an agreement during the first round of mediation on the 22nd.
According to Changwon City, the Changwon City Bus Labor Union also went on strike twice in the past five years, including a one-day suspension of city bus operations in 2023 due to conflicts over ordinary wage issues.
The city expects that a joint strike will take place, as city bus unions in 11 regions?including Seoul, Busan, Ulsan, Changwon, Gyeonggi, and Jeju?have simultaneously applied for mediation.
Additionally, the city is preparing emergency transportation measures and plans to operate temporary routes in case the gap between labor and management cannot ultimately be bridged.
Lee Jonggeun, Director of the Department of Transportation and Construction, stated, "The gap between labor and management is currently too wide. If another strike occurs, it will be difficult for citizens to sympathize with the union's position. Our city will actively encourage negotiations to reach a settlement between labor and management, and we will make every effort to prepare emergency transportation measures to minimize inconvenience to citizens in the event of a strike."
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