Seoul city bus drivers vote overwhelmingly for strike over wage calculation dispute
Unionized Seoul intracity bus workers approved a strike for next Wednesday after 87.94% voted in favor, pending a Tuesday mediation outcome.
On Friday, the union for Seoul's intracity bus employees held a vote in which 87.94% of its 16,089 members approved a strike set for the following Wednesday. The conflict centers on the method for determining "ordinary" wages, with the union demanding that they be based on a 176-hour work month and that hourly wages increase by 7.85 percent. Adjusting ordinary wages would also raise related allowances for drivers.
A second labor-dispute mediation is planned for Tuesday, and the union warned it will go ahead with the walkout if an accord is not reached. The action could disrupt public transport across the city and pressure bus operators to meet the wage demands.
Why it matters
A strike by Seoul's bus drivers could halt city transport and affect thousands of commuters.
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