As negotiations continue just one day before a planned bus strike in Seoul, the city is preparing emergency transport measures.
On September 15, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon chaired an urgent meeting to review the city's emergency transport plans in anticipation of the bus strike.
Mayor Oh urged both labor and management to consider the impact on citizens' daily lives and to approach negotiations with a sense of responsibility. He noted, "The two-day bus strike in January caused significant inconvenience for many citizens, particularly for those in transportation-disadvantaged areas and vulnerable populations such as the elderly."
He added, "We will mobilize all available resources to ensure there are no gaps in transportation for citizens tomorrow morning. We will thoroughly check whether the shortcomings from January have been adequately addressed and ensure there are no oversights in preparations for transportation-disadvantaged areas and vulnerable populations."
If the strike occurs, it will be the second in about eight months, following the one in January. During that strike, only 478 out of 7,018 buses were operational on the first day, resulting in a service rate of just 6.8%. After two days of striking, labor and management reached an agreement on a 2.9% wage increase, but the issue of revising the wage system to reflect ordinary wages was not included in the agreement.
In preparation for this strike, the city plans to expand alternative transportation options compared to January. The number of free shuttle buses will increase from around 700 to a maximum of 1,500. Approximately 1,300 of these will connect major hubs and residential areas to subway stations across 25 districts, while the city will deploy about 200 additional buses to operate on ten major arterial routes, including Gangnam-daero, Tongil-ro, and Dobong-ro.
The subway will also increase service by 202 trips per day. The peak commuting hours will be extended from 7-9 a.m. to 7-11 a.m., and evening service will be extended from 6-8 p.m. to 6-10 p.m. The last trains will also be extended to arrive at their final destinations by 2 a.m. the following day. In January, the subway increased service by 172 trips during the strike.
Community buses will also be deployed to fill in gaps left by the city buses. The public bicycle service, 'Ddaerung-i,' will be available for free. To accommodate an expected increase in private vehicle use, regular bus lanes will be opened to general traffic during the strike, while central bus-only lanes will remain operational as usual.
Flexible work arrangements will be implemented for city employees and public institutions. The city has requested the education office to adjust school start times for elementary, middle, and high schools and is encouraging private companies, through the Seoul Chamber of Commerce and the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Businesses, to adopt remote work and flexible hours.
The core issue of the current conflict revolves around the application of ordinary wages. The Supreme Court's full bench has established a new standard, stating that wages paid regularly and uniformly for specified work can be included as ordinary wages, even if certain payment conditions are attached. This ruling has intensified the conflict over wage calculation methods between labor and management, particularly following a second trial ruling in a case involving Dong-A Transportation.
The union argues that the standard calculation for ordinary wages should be based on 176 hours per month, with an additional 7.85% increase. Management and the city have proposed a wage increase of about 10.32%, which includes the portion reflecting the court's ruling on ordinary wages.
The Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission will hold a second mediation meeting at 2 p.m. today in a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement. The union plans to strike starting with the first bus on September 16 if no agreement is reached by then.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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