Seoul Bus Talks Enter Final Round as Strike Threatens 7,000 Vehicles
Seoul city bus labor and management are holding a second mediation session over wage calculations, with the union preparing to halt service from the first buses Wednesday if no agreement is reached.
Seoul’s city bus system faces another potential shutdown as labor and management enter a second round of mediation Tuesday over how ordinary wages should be calculated. The union says it will begin a full strike with the first buses on Wednesday, September 16, if the talks fail.
The dispute could affect a network of roughly 7,000 city buses and disrupt commutes across the capital. It comes eight months after a strike at the start of the year halted services for two days, adding urgency to the latest attempt at a settlement.
At the center of the negotiations is the number of monthly hours used to calculate the hourly value of ordinary wages. A lower divisor produces a higher hourly wage and therefore raises compensation tied to that rate. The Seoul Bus Labor Union argues that 176 hours should apply, citing the effect of an April Supreme Court ruling involving Dong-A Transportation, one of the city’s bus operators. The union’s position is that the legal basis has already been established and the parties should now discuss implementation.
Management proposes using 209 hours for the time being, a formula it says would produce an estimated wage increase of about 10 percent. Operators argue that related litigation, including further proceedings in the Dong-A Transportation case, has not yet concluded. Their proposal is to use the 209-hour standard provisionally and settle any difference after the courts determine the final benchmark.
The Seoul city government is preparing emergency transport measures in case the talks break down. Its plans include adding more than 200 subway services per day and deploying as many as 1,500 free chartered buses. The city also plans to use village buses, support free access to the Ttareungi public bicycle service, and ask schools and public institutions to delay starting times by one hour.
The negotiations are therefore about more than the immediate wage increase. They must also address how employers should apply a court ruling while connected cases remain pending. Unless the two sides bridge that gap during Tuesday’s mediation, Seoul residents could face a significant reduction in surface transport from the start of Wednesday’s morning commute.