According to the Seoul city bus union, the bus operation rate was 98.8% on the 7th, when it resumed its "law-abiding struggle" (lawful operations). The law-abiding struggle involves departing only after confirming that all passengers are fully seated or holding onto the handrails, encouraging delays.

On the 8th, the Seoul city government stated, "The law-abiding struggle of the city bus union, which resumed on May 7 following April 30, was concluded without major confusion, thanks to the cooperation of citizens and the bus industry."

On the morning of last month’s 30th, citizens are commuting using buses at the Bus Transfer Center in Seoul Station as the Seoul City Bus Union has entered a compliance protest. The bus union begins the 'compliance protest' that effectively delays bus operations from the first bus of the day under the pretext of adherence to regulations and safe operation after negotiations with the Seoul City collapsed. /Courtesy of News1

According to the Seoul city government, on the previous day, city buses operated 41,941 times, 518 fewer than the authorized operation count of 42,459. The operation rate was 98.8%. The average operating speed during the peak commuting hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. increased by 1.5% compared to the last law-abiding struggle. However, there were 82 abnormal signs, including 72 delays in dispatch intervals and 10 irregular stops at bus stops.

The bus union has continued its law-abiding struggle for the second day, demanding that the "regular bonuses" be reflected in the ordinary wages. This follows the Supreme Court's ruling on December 29 of last year, which stated that various allowances, including regular bonuses subject to employment conditions or working days, should be included in ordinary wages. Since ordinary wages serve as the basis for calculating various statutory allowances such as bonuses and retirement pay, simply reflecting regular bonuses in ordinary wages would significantly increase labor costs. This is a considerable burden for both the management and the city, which invests finances under the semi-public management system.

In response to the situation, the city of Seoul held a "Joint Measures Meeting of Cities and Provinces Regarding Ordinary Wages" the previous day. The city stated, "The results of wage negotiations in specific local governments are likely to set precedents affecting wage negotiations in other local governments," and added, "We will share the status of wage and collective negotiations by city and province and maintain close communication throughout the future process."

Attention is focused on whether this labor action by the union at the level of law-abiding struggle will escalate into a "strike." The Seoul bus union plans to discuss the specifics regarding the possibility and direction of a strike at a meeting with representatives of 22 regional bus unions and the National Automobile Union.