Seoul city buses to halt service due to workers' strike
In Seoul, South Korea, city buses will suspend operations from their first runs on Wednesday after the union and bus operators failed to reach an agreement on pay. A full strike is set to begin at 4:00 a.m., Korea Herald reports.
Talks ended without an agreement
Mediation at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in the Yeongdeungpo district in the west of the city ended without results at around 10:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Talks between the Seoul Bus Workers' Union and operators lasted about eight hours.
In the city, 64 private bus operators run 7,383 buses on about 390 routes. On average, more than 3.79 million passengers use them daily.
The main dispute concerns the calculation of drivers' regular hourly pay: based on 176 or 209 working hours per month. The lower figure increases hourly pay as well as payments for overtime, night work and work on public holidays.
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Union demands and city measures
The union insists that the 176-hour standard should apply to all Seoul bus companies. It cites a Seoul High Court ruling in the case of Dong-A Transportation workers, which the Supreme Court upheld in April. Operators and the Seoul city government state that no unified industry standard has been established and that related court cases are still ongoing.
Separately, the union demands a 7.85% increase in hourly pay. Operators proposed changing the pay system so that total earnings would rise by 10.32%. The same dispute already caused a 44-hour strike in January, which ended without an agreement on the calculation method.
Alternative transportation
The city government plans to deploy up to 1,500 free shuttle buses. Seoul district administrations will provide up to 1,300 buses between residential areas and subway stations, while about 200 more chartered buses will operate along ten major thoroughfares.
The metro will add 202 services per day, and operating hours during peak times will be extended by two hours in the morning and evening. Night trains will run until 2:00 a.m. Public Ttareungi bicycles will also become free, dedicated bus lanes will be opened to regular cars, and schools were advised to consider delaying the start of classes by one hour.
