Breaking Gyeonggi Province Bus Labor-Management Reaches "Dramatic Agreement" After Overnight Talks…Strike Withdrawn, Normal Service Resumed

The labor and management of Gyeonggi Province's municipal buses, which had been pushed to the brink of a strike, reached a dramatic agreement after marathon negotiations spanning more than 11 hours. As a result, the strike scheduled for the first bus on the 30th, which the union had announced, was abruptly withdrawn, and all bus routes in the province will operate normally.

According to the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission and labor circles on the 30th, the Gyeonggi Region Automobile Workers' Union and the Gyeonggi Province Bus Transportation Business Association held overnight negotiations at the final adjustment meeting that began at 3 p.m. the previous day, ultimately reaching an agreement early that morning.

Both sides initially exceeded the legal mediation deadline of 29th midnight, facing a temporary breakdown of negotiations, but after agreeing to extend the timeline, they found common ground after repeated adjournments and resumptions until early morning.

◇ Last-Minute Agreement on Wage Increase and Improved Treatment Compared to Seoul Buses

Both labor and management made final adjustments on the wage increase rate and improvement plan for treatment compared to Seoul buses, which had been the greatest obstacle, and reached a compromise. The union demanded a wage increase to close the wage gap with Seoul buses, while management and Gyeonggi Province opposed it citing fiscal deficits, but reached an agreement through mutual concessions.

Additionally, finding common ground on major demands from the union side, including shorter working hours and improvements to working conditions, the decision to withdraw the strike was made.

◇ Narrowly Avoided Shutdown of 4,130 Buses…Prevented Rush-Hour Traffic Crisis

With this agreement, the operational suspension of 854 routes belonging to 29 bus companies with 4,130 vehicles (including 942 intercity buses) was averted. Initial concerns about serious traffic congestion during rush hour centered on 14 cities in the event of negotiation breakdown, but news of the agreement reached just before the first buses were scheduled to run, preventing the crisis of residents' mobility being halted.

Gyeonggi Province also lifted its emergency transport measures, which had been prepared in response to the strike, including deployment of chartered buses at major hubs and increased service on railways and village buses, and switched to normal operations.