Ballot papers for the Seoul Bus Union's strike vote are placed at a polling station in Seoul on Sept. 11.YONHAP
Seoul bus union members overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike Friday, paving the way for a walkout if wage negotiations between the union and management continue to misfire.
A total of 96.25 percent of participating members of the Seoul Bus Union of the Korean Automobile & Transport Workers' Federation voted in favor of collective action over a stall in talks on this year's wages.
Of the union's 18,296 members, 16,716 participated in the vote, with 16,089 voting in favor of a strike. Those in favor accounted for 96.25 percent of participating members and 87.94 percent of all union members.
The vote clears the way for the union to go on strike next Wednesday if it fails to reach a deal with management at a second mediation session scheduled for next Tuesday.
The union and management attended their first mediation session on Wednesday but failed to make significant progress. The union has since asked for the second session to be moved forward so additional mediation can take place.
Workers at three bus operators that negotiate separately from the main city bus union also voted in favor of the strike on Friday. Of their 323 union members, 286 participated in the vote, with 260 voting in favor. The vote clears the way for the workers to join the main union's strike.
At the heart of the main union's dispute is a disagreement over how base wages should be calculated.
The union is demanding that unpaid wages be calculated using 176 hours as the monthly divisor for converting monthly base wages into an hourly rate, a standard recognized by the Supreme Court in April in a lawsuit involving Dong-A Transportation.
Seoul Bus Union members vote on striking over a wage agreement at a polling station in Seoul on Sept. 11.YONHAP
"Those base wages are unpaid wages," Seoul Bus Union deputy secretary general Yoo Jae-ho said. "What we are demanding is simply the restoration of what we should have received in the first place."
Management argues that wages should initially be calculated based on 209 hours per month. Rulings in a series of lawsuits filed by bus workers against 64 Seoul bus companies over unpaid wages stemming from the calculation of base wages are scheduled to begin on Dec. 4, and management seeks to settle any difference after final court rulings are issued.
"Calculating base wages based on 176 working hours would have the effect of raising wages by 16.44 percent even without a separate wage increase," the Seoul bus transport association said. "If all of the union's proposals are also accepted, the average wage increase would amount to 30.57 percent."
Under that scenario, a grade nine bus driver who earned 68.7 million won ($51,160) last year would receive 85.09 million won this year.
Buses are parked at a depot in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, on Jan. 14, when Seoul's bus union launched a strike over a dispute over base wages.YONHAP
"If management continues to break its promises to reach an agreement and maneuver to effectively cut real wages, the Seoul Bus Union will have no choice but to launch a powerful general strike with the united strength of all its members," union leader Park Jeom-gon said. "We will put an end to the actions of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and management that demand sacrifices only from workers, reclaim our legitimate rights and secure a 2026 wage increase at least on par with those in other regions operating quasi-public bus systems."
The Seoul Metropolitan Government says it plans to work with the bus operators' association to arrange alternative transportation if a strike occurs.
The union previously staged the longest strike in Seoul city bus history for two days from Jan. 13 to 14. If workers walk off the job on Wednesday, it would mark the second Seoul city bus strike this year.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
