Icy rush-hour disruption inevitable as Seoul city bus strike begins

[Photo=Yonhap]SEOUL, January 13 (AJP) -Seoul commuters faced inevitable rush-hour disruption amid icy temperatures Tuesday as city bus drivers launched an indefinite strike after last-minute wage talks collapsed overnight.

Members of the Seoul City Bus Workers Union began the walkout with the first buses of the day at 4 a.m., after negotiations with the Seoul City Bus Transport Business Association broke down around 1:30 a.m., according to both sides.

The talks, mediated by the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission in Yeongdeungpo, stretched more than 10 hours from Monday afternoon but failed to bridge differences over wage structure and the definition of ordinary wages.

At the heart of the dispute is how bonuses should be treated under a Supreme Court ruling that broadens the scope of ordinary wages, which directly affects overtime pay and retirement benefits.

Management proposed restructuring the pay system by folding bonuses into base pay to contain additional labor costs, offering a total wage increase of 10.3 percent. The union rejected the proposal, arguing that payments tied to recognizing ordinary wages should be excluded from this round of bargaining.

Instead, the union is demanding a 3 percent wage increase without altering the current pay system, raising the retirement age to 65 and eliminating what it calls wage discrimination.

Employers countered that accepting a 3 percent raise now, followed by a future recalculation of bonuses as ordinary wages, would amount to an effective pay hike of about 20 percent, calling the demand excessive.

No further bargaining schedule has been set, though both sides indicated that informal contacts may continue.

With all 64 city bus companies participating in the strike, operations across Seoul’s 394 routes — involving 7,382 buses — were halted, raising fears of widespread commuting chaos during one of the coldest weeks of the winter.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government activated emergency transportation measures from 4 a.m., deploying alternative transit options to ease congestion. 

Subway services were expanded during peak commuting hours, with morning and evening rush periods extended from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., while late-night subway operations were pushed back to 2 a.m. the following day. In total, subway services will run an additional 172 times per day.

To improve access to subway stations, all 25 district offices in Seoul are operating free shuttle buses.

“We will mobilize all available transportation resources to minimize inconvenience to citizens,” said Yeo Jang-kwon, head of Seoul’s transportation bureau. He also urged the bus union to consider public hardship and return to work as soon as possible.

Jeong Se-hee 기자 ssss308@ajunews.com