The Seoul Bus Labor Union said on the 14th, the second day of the city bus strike, that "if today's talks go past 9 p.m., we will declare a breakdown and extend the strike by one day."
Yu Jae-ho, deputy secretary-general of the Seoul Bus Labor Union, said this before entering a second round of talks at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission (the commission) in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, where a post-mediation meeting with management, the Seoul Bus Transport Business Association, was being held that afternoon.
A post-mediation meeting is a procedure in which, when labor and management fail to reach an agreement, the labor commission acts as a mediator to resume negotiations.
Regarding setting the deadline at 9 p.m., Yu said, "Drivers who operate the first buses need an agreement before 9 p.m. to get some sleep," adding, "To drive the first buses that go out at 3:30 a.m., they have to leave home at 1 to 2 a.m."
In this year's wage and collective agreement talks, the union repeated its existing position that the contentious "ordinary wage issue is not a subject of discussion."
Earlier, on the 13th, after the first post-mediation meeting, the commission made a final proposal of ▲ a 0.5% increase in base pay ▲ a one-year extension of the retirement age. It accepted in part the union's claim to discuss the ordinary wage issue after the court's decision. This also runs counter to the city of Seoul's wage-system reform plan centered on eliminating regular bonuses.
However, after a vote by branch chiefs, the union rejected the proposal and declared the talks broken down. It immediately began a strike with the first buses on the 13th.
Yu said, "A 0.5% increase only raises monthly pay by 10,000 to 20,000 won," adding, "We will hold to a 3% wage increase."