Seoul City Bus Union Members Vote for Strike... Full Walkout Possible on the 16th

87.94% of All Union Members Vote in Favor of Strike
"We Will Overcome Management's Injustices and Reclaim Our Rights"

As members of the Seoul City Bus Union have voted in favor of a strike, the possibility of a full-scale walkout beginning on September 16 has become a reality.

Yonhap News Agency

On September 11, the Seoul City Bus Union, part of the Korean Automobile & Transport Workers' Federation, conducted a strike authorization vote across its city workplaces. Out of 18,296 union members, 16,716 participated in the vote, with 16,089 voting in favor, 575 against, 1,580 abstaining, and 52 invalid ballots, resulting in the motion being approved.

The approval rate for all union members was 87.94%, and the approval rate among those who voted was 96.25%. The union announced that if the second round of mediation talks breaks down on September 15, it will begin a full strike starting with the first buses on September 16.

Park Jeomgon, head of the city bus union, declared in a rally speech, "If management continues to break its promises and attempts to reduce our real wages, the Seoul City Bus Union will be forced to launch a powerful, united general strike. We are determined to end the injustices committed by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the management, who demand sacrifices only from workers, reclaim our legitimate rights, and secure a wage increase rate for 2026 that reflects Seoul’s cost-of-living and exceeds those set for other quasi-public transportation areas."

The management organization, the Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Association, is coordinating with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to prepare alternative transportation options in the event of a strike. Management, together with the city and the police, announced that if striking workers interfere with non-striking drivers’ operations or block buses from leaving the garages, they will pursue legal penalties.

Since September 9, management has been showing videos on in-bus screens expressing its opposition to the strike, and on the previous day, posted large notices at each company. In addition, 4,000 banners opposing the strike have been attached to the front of city buses.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.