Key facts
- Seoul's city bus union will strike Wednesday if wage talks fail by Tuesday 9 p.m.
- The union demands ordinary wages be calculated based on 176 monthly work hours and a 7.85% wage increase.
- Bus companies and the Seoul city government reject the demand, estimating it would effectively raise wages by 16%.
- The union stated its average annual salary is estimated at 59 million won, not 85 million won as claimed by management.
- A 1% wage increase is estimated to cost the city approximately 14 billion won annually.
- Accepting the union's demands could double the city bus system's annual deficit to about 1 trillion won.
Seoul's unionized city bus workers have set a deadline of 9 p.m. Tuesday for wage negotiations, with a general strike planned for the following morning if an agreement is not reached. The core of the dispute lies in the calculation of ordinary wages, specifically the inclusion of regular bonuses. The union is advocating for a calculation based on 176 monthly work hours and a 7.85% wage increase. However, bus companies and the Seoul city government have opposed this, estimating that the proposed calculation method would effectively lead to a 16% wage hike. Representatives from the bus companies and the union met for negotiations on September 15, 2026, at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission.
Yoo Jae-ho, deputy secretary-general of the Seoul Bus Workers' Union, stated that the union is flexible on the exact percentage increase and is willing to reach an agreement if the 176 monthly work hour standard is recognized. He also contested the management's assertion that drivers' annual salaries would reach 85 million won, estimating the average to be 59 million won this year. City buses in Seoul and other major South Korean cities operate under a semi-public system, where municipal governments subsidize losses incurred by bus companies. The Seoul city government estimates that a 1% wage increase would add approximately 14 billion won to annual costs, potentially doubling the bus system's deficit to around 1 trillion won if the union's demands are met.