Seoul buses resume rolling after wage agreement reached

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Seoul buses resume rolling after wage agreement reached

Published: 28 Mar. 2024, 19:00 Updated: 28 Mar. 2024, 19:36

CHO JUNG-WOO
cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr

Buses pass the Seoul Station Bus Transfer Center in downtown Seoul on Thursday afternoon after the bus labor union ended its 11-hour general strike. The Seoul Bus Labor Union and management came to a wage agreement at 3:10 p.m. Thursday, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. [YONHAP]

Seoul’s intracity bus drivers returned to work on Thursday afternoon, ending their 11-hour strike over a wage hike.

The Seoul Bus Labor Union went on a general strike starting at 4 a.m. Thursday, after final wage negotiations fell through the day before.

Nearly 98 percent of buses in the capital halted operations.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Bus Labor Union resumed bus services at 3:10 p.m. Thursday, immediately after striking a deal with management. Both parties agreed to a 4.48 percent wage hike, with drivers also receiving 650,000 won ($480) in holiday compensation.

The city government said that the 4.48 percent wage hike was decided as other regions, including Daegu and Busan, agreed on the same increase earlier in the year.

The bus labor union had initially demanded a 12.7 percent increase, which the management deemed "excessive."

The management suggested a 2.5 percent hike, the average wage hike for public officials this year.

According to the city government, bus drivers in the capital received an average of 4.8 million won a month as of last year, the highest salary compared to Busan’s 4.5 million won and Daegu’s 4.2 million won. However, the Seoul Bus Labor Union argued that a wage hike was necessary due to the higher cost of living in Seoul compared to other regions.

The city government estimated that an additional 67.2 billion won would be needed following the wage hike. When asked about a potential bus fare hike due to the wage increase, Yoon Jong-jang, director of the city’s transportation bureau, said that it was unlikely as the fares were upped by 300 won last August.

The labor union announced the strike at around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, as final negotiations that began around 3 p.m. the day before lasted longer than expected. The bus drivers' strike on Thursday was the first in 12 years since a 20-minute strike in 2012.

Commuters in Seoul faced traffic chaos during morning rush hours on Thursday due to the last-minute announcement.

"I had to let two trains pass in the morning," said Lee Seon-ah, who took a subway from Gangnam-gu Office Station in southern Seoul at around 8:20 a.m., speaking to the Korea JoongAng Daily. "Trains were always crowded during the hours, but there were even more people today."

She was not aware that bus drivers were on strike until she arrived at the subway platform and heard warnings of congestion due to the walkout.

Another commuter who took a train from Hanti Station in southern Seoul said the subway car was completely packed around 10 a.m., a time when they are usually not very crowded.

Following the deal on Thursday afternoon, the Seoul city government dropped its emergency transportation plan.

“Finding alternative workers for bus drivers is difficult as they require a bus driving license,” said Yoon, the director of the city’s transportation bureau.

He added that the National Assembly should discuss measures to ensure a minimum number of bus drivers work during a walkout, which is the case for subways.

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