Busan city bus wage talks reach last-minute deal, averting strike

Busan city government said labor and management in the city's bus sector reached a final wage agreement at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The two sides agreed to set the hourly wage at 19,177 won ($14), a 5.0 percent increase from the previous year. Last year, no wage hike was granted as both parties had agreed to restructure the pay system following the Supreme Court's ruling on ordinary wages. This year's increase was determined with wage growth rates and inflation in mind.

The deal means Busan residents will be spared the disruption of a citywide bus strike that the Federation of Korean Automobile Workers' Unions had scheduled for Friday.

Labor and management had held nine rounds of joint bargaining committee sessions between Dec. 1 last year and Aug. 12 this year without reaching an agreement, prompting them to file for formal mediation with the regional labor relations commission.

The original deadline for negotiations was Thursday, but the two sides continued talks through three rounds of special mediation sessions until the final hours. The regional labor relations commission then proposed a 5.0 percent adjustment, which both parties accepted, leading to a last-minute agreement in the early hours of Tuesday.

Both sides shared the view that disruptions to city bus services — which are central to residents' daily lives — had to be avoided. Particularly mindful of the citywide bus strike that occurred on May 28 last year, labor and management pressed on with negotiations, determined not to repeat the inconvenience for residents.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo visited the negotiations and said he was grateful that both sides had kept the dialogue going until the end to find common ground for the stable operation of city buses. "We will listen to the voices of both labor and management and work together to ensure city buses continue to run smoothly," he said.