”City bus strike could extend beyond three days” - All-out response in Seoul, South Korea

The city of Seoul, South Korea, is planning to inspect emergency transportation measures and hold a general strike against the union, as it believes that if a general strike begins on the 28th of this month, as teased by the local bus union, it could last for at least three days.
On the 26th, the company announced that it would take all possible measures, including establishing a system to deal with illegal business disruption by the union.
The labor union had teased that if no agreement was reached on wages and collective bargaining agreements by the 27th, a nationwide strike would begin on the first bus on the 28th.
Since the breakdown of the second coordination meeting of the Japan Wage Collective Workers' Union, practical discussions have been held, but the gap in opinion is large and full-scale negotiations have not yet resumed.
The labor union sent a formal document to the employer (Seoul City Bus Transportation Business Union) this morning, intending to resume negotiations at 1 p.m. on the 27th.
However, the date has not yet been finalized. A Seoul city official said, "There is a big difference in the positions of labor and management regarding wage negotiations this year, and there is a risk that the strike will be prolonged, so we are considering all possibilities.
"The city of Seoul has already drawn up emergency transportation plans in April in preparation for a strike, and if a strike becomes a reality, all available means of transportation will be used," he said.
First, the subway will increase the number of trains by 173 a day to ease congestion during rush hour and eliminate the inconvenience of public transportation.
The peak peak hours will be extended by one hour from the current time, more trains will be operated, and the last subway train will be extended until 2 a.m. the following day to support late-night travel.
In addition, 25 districts in Seoul provide quick access to subway stations from major hubs and residential areas.
A total of 625 buses are planned to operate on 117 routes. Information on the shuttle bus routes can be found on the websites of the city of Seoul and each district.
Real-time traffic information will be provided via the city's website, social media accounts, roadside electronic bulletin boards, and bus information terminals at each bus stop.
In addition, during last year's city bus strike, some drivers returned to work before the end of the strike and operated special routes.
This year, the city plans to operate special routes while monitoring the drivers' return to work. In addition, the city will dispatch staff to each depot and cooperate with the police if the labor union uses illegal methods to disrupt operations.
Last year, there were cases of people illegally parking their vehicles at the garage entrance during the strike, disrupting bus operations, leaving their workplaces and disappearing after receiving bus keys, and missing drivers.
There have been reports of illegal acts, such as people getting under buses trying to stop them from moving. Such acts are considered to be obstruction of business under the Criminal Code or violations of the Basic Principles of Industrial Actions set out in the Labor Union Act.
The city government stressed that this is a violation of the law and that measures and punishments are possible under existing laws. Furthermore, unlike previous years, this strike was teased as a simultaneous nationwide strike, and the
If buses in the Incheon and Gyeonggi regions also join the strike, bus services throughout the entire metropolitan area could be halted altogether.
In response to this, the city will ask elementary, middle and high schools and public institutions in the city not to attend school during the strike period.
The city also requested that the arrival time for work be adjusted by one hour. Seoul Metropolitan Transportation Office Director Yeo Jang-kwon said, "The city will take strict measures against illegal acts of business disruption and will strive to minimize inconvenience to citizens.
"However, in the event of a full-scale strike, serious confusion is expected during rush hour, so we ask residents to actively utilize teleworking and other methods.
"There is still time left until the strike deadline, so I hope that the labor and management can amicably conclude wage negotiations at a reasonable level that is acceptable to the public," he said.
"We ask for understanding and compromise."