Ulsan bus drivers to strike on Saturday over wage dispute

City buses across Ulsan will grind to a halt starting Saturday morning after a breakdown in wage negotiations between bus workers and transit companies. Around 80 percent of Ulsan's bus routes will be affected.

Commuters wait at a bus station in Buk District, Ulsan in July 2024. [JOONGANG ILBO]

City buses across Ulsan will grind to a halt starting Saturday morning after a breakdown in wage negotiations between bus workers and transit companies. Around 80 percent of Ulsan's bus routes will be affected, marking the city’s first full-scale bus strike in six years.

The Ulsan chapter of the Korea Automobile and Transport Workers’ Federation held a final meeting on Friday and confirmed that its members will launch a full walkout beginning with the first scheduled buses at 4 a.m. on Saturday.

The strike follows the collapse of wage and collective bargaining talks for this year. Since March, the union and the Ulsan City Bus Transport Business Association — representing management — have held six formal bargaining sessions and 12 mediated meetings since May 12.

However, both sides failed to reach a compromise, primarily due to disagreements over changes to the wage system.

A major sticking point stems from a Supreme Court ruling in December of last year that mandated companies include bonuses when calculating base wages, which would increase the amount owed for various allowances.

Bus operators argue the ruling imposes significant financial burdens, prompting management to push for a restructured wage system to reduce costs.

The union, for its part, has demanded a 10.47 percent increase in total wages, citing a recent deal between labor and management in Busan as precedent. But Ulsan employers say they cannot meet that demand due to financial constraints.

Saturday’s strike is expected to affect 105 of Ulsan’s 187 city bus routes, with 702 out of 889 buses, or approximately 80 percent, out of service.

The disruption is expected to be particularly severe, as Ulsan does not have a subway system and relies heavily on buses as its main mode of public transportation.

City officials have announced contingency plans that include emergency text alerts and expanded taxi and shuttle services to mitigate commuter disruption.

Ulsan last experienced a similar citywide bus strike in May 2019.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY JEONG JAE-HONG [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]