Seoul Bus Union Threatens Strike Over Wages

Seoul's city bus labor union has threatened a full-scale strike if a wage increase plan cannot be agreed upon by September 16th, 2024. This announcement follows their declaration of a breakdown in collective bargaining on August 31st, and the application for labor dispute mediation with the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission.

The dispute centers around the implementation of a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that recognizes regular bonuses as ordinary wages. The Seoul City Bus Employers Association, representing management, proposed a 10.3% annual salary increase that includes regular bonuses in the annual salary. However, the union argues this constitutes a "wage freeze" and demands further wage increases.

The union and management disagree on the number of "standard hours" to be used when converting ordinary wages into hourly amounts. The union insists these should be fixed at 176 hours, while management suggests 209 or 230 hours could be more appropriate, depending on the final results of legal proceedings in other companies. If no agreement is reached within the 15-day mediation period, the union would meet the criteria for legal industrial action, including a strike.

The last strike on Seoul city buses occurred 12 years ago, in 2012, but the service has already been suspended twice in 2024, once in March and once in January. Management appears perplexed by the strike notice just before the Chuseok holiday. A representative from the Seoul City Bus Employers Association expressed concern, stating, "The series of strike resolutions is a serious problem," and added that they are struggling to comprehend how the union intends to manage the significant inconvenience this would cause citizens ahead of the holiday and the potential backlash from the industry.