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Seoul's city bus union set to begin general strike Wednesday

Published: 27 May. 2025, 11:58

Seoul city bus union members chant slogans during a rally in front of the Korea Transportation Workers’ Union building in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on May 26. The demonstration was held to express solidarity among bus workers and demand better labor conditions ahead of a planned general strike. [NEWS1]

Unionized intracity bus workers in Seoul are set to go on a general strike on Wednesday, as previously warned, as their wage increase negotiations with the management have shown little signs of a compromise.

The intracity bus union and management have held rounds of negotiation over a wage hike but failed to narrow their differences, heightening the possibility of a walkout for the second consecutive year.

Without a last-minute agreement during their final talks expected on Tuesday, the strike will affect 61 of the capital's 64 intracity bus companies that run about 7,000 buses on 389 routes, causing severe inconvenience to citizens as well as commuters.

Unionized bus workers have demanded an 8.2 percent hike in their base pay. But the management has insisted that the labor's proposal will have the effect of raising wages by 25 percent, if regular bonuses are included in the ordinary wage in accordance with the Supreme Court's recent ruling.

The union has threatened to stage a general strike from the first buses on Wednesday if no agreement is reached by the previous day. Last year, the unionized workers went on strike for the first time in 12 years, since 2012, after wage negotiations broke down.

The Seoul city government said it will increase subway service by 173 times per day during commuting hours and operate free shuttle buses between major locations and subway stations to help reduce the inconvenience of citizens.

Meanwhile, the Seoul bus strike may spread to other parts of the country, as unionized bus workers in three southeastern cities — Busan, Changwon and Ulsan — have also threatened to walk out on Wednesday.

Yonhap