Key facts
- Seoul city bus union called off a strike after reaching a wage deal.
- The agreement includes a 3.2% wage increase for 2026.
- The union and management negotiated for nearly 12 hours.
- The decision to call off the strike was made at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday.
- Bus routes were running normally Wednesday morning.
The union representing Seoul city bus workers called off a planned strike after reaching a last-minute wage deal with management. The agreement, reached at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday following nearly 12 hours of marathon talks, includes a 3.2% wage increase for 2026. This increase is 0.3 percentage point higher than the 2.9% hike received last year. The union had initially set a 9 p.m. Tuesday deadline for wage talks to avoid a strike. With the agreement, the union withdrew its plans to launch a general strike starting with the first buses at 4 a.m. Wednesday, ensuring all bus routes were running normally in the morning. A key point of contention in the negotiations was the calculation of hourly wages, particularly the inclusion of regular bonuses in ordinary wages. No agreement was reached on this specific issue, and both sides have decided to postpone a decision until after the Supreme Court rules on a related case later this year. The union had sought a 7.85% wage increase based on 176 monthly work hours, but bus companies and the Seoul city government argued this would effectively mean a 16% raise and significantly increase the city's annual bus system deficit, potentially doubling it to about 1 trillion won. A 1% wage increase is estimated to add approximately 14 billion won (US$10.3 million) in annual costs.