A union representing bus workers in Gyeonggi Province has approved a general strike as wage and collective bargaining negotiations remain unresolved. Of 9,420 eligible members, 9,001 participated in the ballot and 8,792 voted for industrial action, producing a 97.7 percent approval rate among those who voted.
The walkout has not yet begun. The union and employers are proceeding through mediation at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission, with a final session scheduled for October 29. If that meeting ends without an agreement, the union plans to stop work from the first buses on October 30.
Thousands of buses could be affected
A strike could halt 4,130 buses operated by 29 companies across cities including Suwon, Yongin, Goyang and Seongnam. The affected network covers 854 routes, including 63 metropolitan routes served by 942 buses. Disruption on those services would extend beyond Gyeonggi, affecting commuters and students who travel into Seoul.
Pay and working hours are central to the dispute. The union argues that an earlier labor, management and government agreement aimed at bringing Gyeonggi bus wages to the level paid in Seoul has not been fulfilled. It is seeking a 21.56 percent wage increase on semi-public routes and a 30 percent increase on privately operated routes, citing a continuing gap in ordinary wages.
- Final mediation
- October 29
- Planned strike start
- First bus services on October 30
- Potentially affected fleet
- 4,130 buses operated by 29 companies
- Routes at risk
- 854 routes, including 63 metropolitan routes
The union is also pressing for shorter working schedules. Its proposals include a 4.5-day workweek on semi-public routes and fewer prescribed working days each month on private routes, where annual working time is reported to approach 2,400 hours.
Employers and local authorities say transport deficits and worsening public finances make wage increases of 20 to 30 percent, combined with shorter hours, difficult to accept. Employers on private routes have reportedly proposed freezing wages. The October 29 mediation session will determine whether the parties can narrow those positions before the planned start of the strike.