Seoul City Bus Strike Looms... Union Says "Strike Virtually Confirmed"

Seoul City Bus Union Holds General Meeting on the 24th to Decide Strike Date
Strike Could Begin as Early as the 30th or in January Next Year

Seoul city buses are set to go on strike soon. With labor and management unable to reach an agreement in their wage and collective bargaining negotiations, the union has begun coordinating the strike date.

On December 24, the Seoul City Bus Union held a 'Branch Leaders' General Meeting' at the union hall in Yongsan District, Seoul, with representatives from 65 city bus branches in attendance. At this meeting, the union is deciding whether to proceed with the strike and determining the specific implementation date. Park Jeomgon, head of the Seoul City Bus Union, emphasized at the meeting, "This is not an issue that can be resolved through dialogue, but one that requires accountability and enforcement," and added, "A general strike is not our goal, but the last resort to ensure the law is followed."

On the 28th, buses are parked at a bus garage in Eunpyeong District, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

The potential strike dates being discussed are December 29 or the second to third week of January next year. According to the union, these dates are being considered because students will be on vacation and the impact on citizens would be minimized. A union representative stated, "Although the final decision process remains, the strike is virtually a foregone conclusion."

Previously, labor and management have been at odds over the issue of ordinary wages, failing to conclude this year's wage and collective bargaining agreement. The management, represented by the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, has argued for restructuring the wage system by including bonuses in the base salary, citing a Supreme Court ruling in December last year that broadened the scope of ordinary wages and significantly increased labor costs. In contrast, the union insists that, in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling, bonuses should naturally be included in ordinary wages and paid as such, without any restructuring of the wage system.

It has been reported that, during recent negotiations, the business association proposed a 10% wage increase to the union, similar to what was agreed upon in other local governments such as Busan and Daegu. However, the union refuted this, stating, "We have never received such a proposal, neither at the Central Labor-Management Negotiation Committee nor in working-level talks."

It is unusual for the wage and collective bargaining agreement negotiations between Seoul city bus labor and management to remain unresolved until the end of the year. A union official explained, "This is the first time that negotiations have been delayed this late," and added, "Normally, negotiations for the following year would begin in December." In addition, the wage and collective bargaining agreement reached between Seoul city bus labor and management in 2024 will expire on January 31 next year.

Currently, Seoul is the only region among city bus labor-management groups nationwide where an agreement has not been reached. Busan concluded its agreement in May, and Daegu did so in June.