Seoul bus union to strike Thursday if wage hike deal fails

Commuters take buses from Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center in downtown Seoul on Feb. 26. [YONHAP]

Seoul’s bus labor union may go on strike on Thursday following failures to reach an agreement with the city government on wage hikes.

The union of intracity bus drivers said Monday that it decided to stage a walkout at 4 a.m. on Thursday if the majority of the members vote to go on strike.

The labor union under the Korea Automobile and Transport Workers’ Federation comprises nearly 18,000 members from 65 companies. Concerns over commuter chaos are mounting as the union members account for 96 percent of the total number of the city’s bus drivers.

According to the union, it has demanded wage hikes, a revision of the salary system and the abolition of compensation discrimination for contract workers since late December. None of the demands have been accepted by the Seoul city government, the union said.

The unionized workers said they specifically requested a 12.7 percent increase in their hourly wage, which they claim is lower than those in other metropolitan cities such as Incheon, despite a heavier workload. The union added that drivers have not been able to take holidays off even after the implementation of a five-day workweek.

Despite seven rounds of negotiations, the union and the city government, representing the management of buses in the capital, failed to reach an agreement.

“[The city government] has not suggested any alternative and is instead pushing through a wage freeze,” the union said.

The labor union is set to vote on the general strike on Tuesday. It will also undergo final negotiations with the city government on Wednesday and go on strike if an agreement is not reached by midnight on the same day.

The city government on Monday said it would "do its best to prevent a strike" and prepare to implement measures to minimize traffic chaos if a walkout takes place.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]