As the nationwide bus union has announced a simultaneous general strike on the 28th, Gyeonggi Province has decided to suspend its participation. This is to avoid an illegal strike as negotiations with the management are still ongoing.
According to the Gyeonggi regional automobile union under the National Automobile Workers' Union (NAWU) on the 27th, the Gyeonggi bus union submitted an application for an extension of the mediation period to the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission (GRLC) following an agreement between labor and management the day before, and decided to extend the mediation period until the 11th of next month. Consequently, participation in the nationwide bus general strike scheduled for the 28th is also suspended.
Previously, the Gyeonggi bus union had filed a mediation request on the 12th and held three rounds of negotiations with management until that day. About 18,000 members from 47 bus companies in the province are participating in the negotiations. Typically, if an agreement is not reached within the mediation period, the GRLC holds two additional mediation meetings. During this time, a strike vote for all members will also be conducted. If the mediation ultimately fails, the union will be granted the legal right to strike.
Thus, if the union participates in the strike on the 28th under the current circumstances, it would become an illegal strike without following proper procedures. Considering this, the Gyeonggi bus union decided to defer participation in this strike.
The Gyeonggi bus union is demanding the conversion of privately operated routes, which account for more than half of the entire network, to a semi-public system, as well as the guarantee of a 5 to 14-day training and practical assessment period for new drivers.
Previously, bus unions under the NAWU in 22 regions across the country, including Gyeonggi Province, had announced plans for a simultaneous general strike in the event of a breakdown in wage negotiations. City buses in Seoul, Busan, Changwon, and Ulsan are set to initiate a general strike on the 28th, while city buses in Jeonnam and Gwangju will begin their strike on the 29th.