Possible Seoul City Bus Strike from First Bus on the Day Before College Entrance Exam

Three City Bus Companies Vote for Strike...
Strike Possible from First Bus on November 12
Labor and Management Fail to Bridge Differences at Central Negotiation Meeting

As three labor unions from companies that transitioned from Seoul village buses to city buses have voted in favor of a strike, there is a growing possibility that a strike by Seoul city bus drivers will begin with the first bus on November 12, the day before the college entrance exam.

According to the Seoul City Bus Labor Union of the National Automobile Labor Union Federation on November 7, all three unions from companies that switched to city bus operations-Bokwang Transportation (97.80% approval among participants), One Bus (82.92%), and Jeongpyeong Transportation (93.39%)-voted in favor of a strike. These unions have been negotiating wage agreements with management but failed to reach a consensus and have applied for mediation with the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission.

The mediation period for these three companies with the Regional Labor Relations Commission lasts until midnight on November 11. If labor and management fail to reach an agreement by then, a strike will be legally possible starting with the first bus on November 12, the day before the college entrance exam. The remaining 61 Seoul city bus companies already attempted mediation with the Regional Labor Relations Commission in May, but negotiations broke down, making a strike legally possible for them as well.

The unions are preparing for the possibility that mediation will fail by holding a branch leaders’ general meeting on November 11 to discuss whether to strike and to determine the form any strike would take.

On this day, labor and management for Seoul city buses held a central negotiation meeting in the afternoon but were unable to narrow their differences. After the negotiations, the union issued a statement urging management to "stop attempts to cut wages and promptly settle overdue wages and delayed interest in accordance with court and Ministry of Labor decisions." The union also criticized the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the business association, stating that if a strike occurs, they would be responsible.

The management, represented by the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, maintains that the wage system must first be restructured, given that the scope of ordinary wages has expanded and labor costs have risen sharply. The union, however, argues that the positions of management and the city effectively amount to wage cuts and insists that ordinary wages are not a subject for negotiation.

In an appeal, the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association stated, "If city buses, which are essential public transportation for students to safely reach the college entrance exam sites, come to a halt, it will inevitably result in chaos," and criticized, "A strike by the union is an irresponsible and selfish act by the older generation that throws examinees, who represent the future generation, into confusion."

The association further urged, "Stop using examinees and their families as leverage and conclude the wage negotiations through normal dialogue and reasonable bargaining."

The business association added that it is working closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to prepare emergency transportation measures and will do its utmost to protect the safety of non-striking drivers who continue to operate during a strike.