The Seoul city bus union will begin a strike from the first bus service on the 28th. According to the Seoul city government and others, the management, which is the Seoul Bus Transportation Association, declared a 'breakdown of negotiations' with the Korean Federation of Trade Unions-affiliated Seoul City Bus Labor Union at around 12:10 a.m. on the 28th.
Earlier, the labor and management had engaged in last-minute negotiations at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in Yeongdeungpo-gu since around 3 p.m. the previous day, but they failed to reach an agreement despite approximately nine hours of marathon talks. Ultimately, as the negotiations fell through, the union decided to proceed with a general strike starting from the first bus at 4 a.m. on that day.
◇ Seoul prepares for subways and shuttle buses… 'Taxi ride-sharing also allowed'
The Seoul city government is on alert for disruption during commuting hours. First, the peak hours for subways have been expanded to 7-10 a.m. and 6-9 p.m., with additional trains being dispatched, and the last train will operate until 2 a.m. the next day. A total of 117 free shuttle bus routes with 625 vehicles will be deployed. Related information can be found on the Seoul City Hall website.
Fifteen routes, including those of Bogwang Transportation, Wonbus, and Jeongpyeong Transportation (2113, 2114, 2236, 7024, 7737, 7738, 7739, 8777, 4433, 6642, 6645, 6647, 1162, 1164, 6633), will operate normally, and buses not participating in the strike can be used for free.
Taxi ride-sharing will also be temporarily allowed. The period will be from the start of the strike until its end. Ride-sharing is possible if the passengers agree, and fares can be collected based on an agreed amount with ride-share passengers without tampering with the meter.
The Seoul city government noted that it has also requested a one-hour adjustment for school attendance and working hours at elementary, middle, and high schools and public institutions during the strike period, stating, 'We will mobilize all available transportation means to minimize citizen inconvenience.' The city government will also provide real-time traffic information through the 120 Dasan Call Center, the Traffic Information Center Tophis, and bus information terminals at bus stops.
◇ Two consecutive years of Seoul 'commuting chaos' becoming reality… Will Busan, Ulsan, and Changwon join?
The Seoul bus strike marks the second consecutive year. The Seoul city bus union also went on strike last year after negotiations over wage and conditions failed. However, with the city’s mediation, an agreement was reached on wage negotiations, and the strike was fully withdrawn just 11 hours later, returning to regular operations.
Previously, the Seoul city bus union had been negotiating wages with management, demanding that the regular bonus be reflected in base pay. With the failure of mediation held at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission on the 29th of last month, the union secured the 'right to strike.' The union had been engaging in legal protests (law-abiding operation) instead of a general strike while maintaining dialogue with management, but ultimately failed to reach an agreement.
With the start of the Seoul city bus strike, attention is focused on whether bus unions in Busan, Ulsan, and Changwon will also join the strike. Bus unions in these regions are engaged in negotiations with management until the early hours of the 28th. If final adjustments fail here, they may also strike from the first bus that day. A conclusion is expected before 4 a.m. on that day.
Meanwhile, Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeonnam will decide whether to strike on the 29th based on the outcome of negotiations on the 28th, while the bus labor unions in Gyeonggi and Incheon have agreed to extend the negotiation period and postponed their strike decision.
On the same day, the Seoul city bus union plans to hold a large-scale protest rally in front of City Hall with about 15,000 participants.