The Seoul city bus union, which had mentioned the possibility of a strike on November 12, the day before the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT), has decided not to engage in any industrial action until the day of the exam.
On November 9, the labor and management of Seoul city buses issued a joint statement signed by Jeom Gon, Chairman of the Seoul City Bus Labor Union, and Kim Jeonghwan, Chairman of the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association. The statement read, "Labor and management jointly announce their position to minimize inconvenience for citizens and to resolve pending issues amicably through mutual trust and sincere negotiations." It continued, "The union will hold an additional negotiation session on November 13 and will not engage in any industrial action until the day of the negotiation."
They also stated, "Labor and management will continue to negotiate closely and thoroughly regarding the union's demands, taking into consideration the appellate court ruling on Dong-A Transportation's ordinary wage case delivered on October 29. In order to minimize inconvenience for citizens, we will do our utmost to conclude the 2025 collective bargaining agreement and wage negotiations as soon as possible."
Labor and management of Seoul city buses have been engaged in collective bargaining and wage negotiations for over six months regarding the restructuring of the wage system. Recently, the appellate court ruled in favor of the union in a lawsuit filed by Dong-A Transportation bus workers in 2015, who demanded that bonuses be included in ordinary wages, stating that bonuses should indeed be considered ordinary wages. Labor and management of Seoul city buses have expressed differing views on this matter. In response, the union had threatened to launch a full-scale strike on November 12, the day before the CSAT, while management, through intensive discussions, led to the issuance of the joint statement.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
