Gyeonggi Bus Negotiation Struggles into Dawn Hours as Midnight Passes; First Morning Buses Face Strike Risk Tomorrow

The final mediation meeting between labor and management for Gyeonggi Province's city buses has extended past midnight without narrowing differences over key issues.

Both sides agreed to extend the statutory mediation deadline and resume talks at 2 a.m. on the 30th. If dawn negotiations end in final failure, approximately 4,000 buses will cease operations from the first morning buses on the 30th, raising concerns of traffic chaos during the morning commute.

The union demands a wage increase of 21.56% for quasi-public operators and 30% for private operators, as well as a fixed two-day weekend system, while the company and Gyeonggi Province stand firm on freezing private operator wages citing financial hardship.

If negotiations collapse, 4,130 buses (including 942 intercity buses) from 29 operators across 14 cities will go on strike. However, KD Transport Group affiliates that have already reached separate agreements are excluded.

Gyeonggi Province has activated emergency transport measures, deploying approximately 200 charter buses for circulation at 160 major transit hubs, and increasing operations of village buses and railways to minimize inconvenience to residents.