An electronic panel at a bus stop in central Seoul notifies passengers of a “work-to-rule” protest by unionized bus drivers in the capital city on April 30, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 6 (Korea Bizwire) — Unionized bus drivers in Seoul will resume their “work-to-rule” protest this week following a long holiday weekend, city officials said Tuesday.
In a press release, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said the union will launch its collective action early Wednesday and the city will take “special steps” to minimize inconveniences to the public.
With the work-to-rule protest, bus drivers adhere to driving safety measures, including not overtaking other vehicles and waiting for passengers to find their seats before departing stops. These moves are expected to slow down bus operations.
After the wage talks between the union and the management side broke down last week, the unionized drivers staged a one-day work-to-rule protest on Wednesday. But they provided full services during the Saturday-Tuesday long weekend, which included Children’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday on Monday.
To guard against potential disruptions to bus services, Seoul said its usual morning rush hour for subway services will expand by one hour from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m., during which time 47 extra trains will be in operation.
The city government also said it will dispatch its civil servants to major bus stops in the capital to monitor any unnecessary or intentional delaying tactics by unionized drivers.
While the management side defined the union’s decision as a form of strike, the union said its members will merely follow the rules of the road and therefore their action doesn’t constitute a strike.
The union has demanded an 8.2 percent increase in base pay and raising the retirement age from 63 to 65, while the management has called for lowering the standard wage by reforming the wage system.
The two sides remain so far apart that they have not returned to the table since the most recent round of negotiations fell through in the wee hours of last Wednesday, despite having some internal discussions over the weekend in search of a breakthrough.
The union is expected to finalize plans for a full-on strike by Thursday if its demands aren’t met by then.
(Yonhap)
