The Seoul City Bus Labor Union (bus union) said it will go on strike on Jan. 13 next year. The move comes after it failed to narrow differences with management over ordinary wages, a key sticking point in wage talks.
The bus union said on the 24th that it held a meeting of branch heads and voted to strike. Earlier, the union secured the right to take industrial action early after mediation for this year's wage and collective bargaining broke down in May.
The bus union argues that the wage increase rate proposed by management is effectively a pay cut. The union said, "In November, labor and management issued a joint statement to resolve unpaid wages based on the Seoul High Court appellate ruling in the Dong-A Transportation case and to faithfully discuss wage and collective bargaining, but the Seoul city government and management unilaterally broke their promise and are refusing to pay unpaid wages, citing a Supreme Court appeal."
The union added, "Management is claiming through the media a '10% hourly wage increase plan,' but this is a proposal aimed at dodging the 12.85% hourly wage increase confirmed by the court and the Labor Ministry."
The union also said, "If the Seoul city government and management immediately pay unpaid wages in accordance with the court ruling and the Labor Ministry's corrective order and improve working conditions, the 2025 wage increase can be reviewed based on public institution wage increase rates and other benchmarks."