Gyeonggi Bus Strike Could Halt 4,130 Buses From the First Run on Oct. 30

8,792 votes in favour, and a 3 p.m. deadline on Oct. 29

The Gyeonggi Regional Automobile Workers' Union, part of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, said 9,001 of its 9,420 members voted on Oct. 23 and 8,792 backed a strike. That is 97.7%.

The first mediation session the same day ended without a deal. The final meeting is at 3 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Gyeonggi Regional Labor Relations Commission, and without an agreement the union plans to stop service from the first run on Oct. 30.

63 Seoul-bound express routes are in the mix

The strike would cover 4,130 buses on 854 routes run by 29 companies in Suwon, Yongin, Goyang, Seongnam and other Gyeonggi cities. That includes 942 express buses on 63 routes linking Seoul and Gyeonggi.

Gyeonggi had 9,664 route buses in August. Wikitree estimated a strike could stop about half of them, while another outlet put it at around 46%.

A 350,000-won pay gap with Seoul, and working days

The union wants Gyeonggi drivers' pay raised to Seoul's level under a 2024 labour-management-government agreement: 21.56% on semi-public-run routes and 30% on private routes. According to Wikitree, a Gyeonggi driver at pay step 4 earns an average of 4.72 million won a month, 350,000 won less than a Seoul driver at the same step.

It also wants fewer working days: a 4.5-day week on semi-public-run routes and one day less a month on private routes. Management insists on freezing pay on private routes, citing the province's finances, and has reportedly offered no concrete raise for the semi-public-run routes.

Plenty of years ended with a last-minute deal

Last year a strike was averted after about 14 hours of talks that ran until the morning of the planned walkout. Strikes were also called off at the last minute from 2022 to 2024, and Money Today noted a deal is still possible this time.

The province and cities are watching, and emergency transport plans are not fixed yet. For last year's threat it prepared 381 chartered and official buses linking 234 main boarding points.

If you are leaving Gyeonggi on Oct. 30

Without a deal the impact lands on Suwon, Yongin, Goyang and Seongnam routes and the Seoul-bound express buses. If you plan to travel from those areas on the 30th, check the notices from Gyeonggi Province and your city once the Oct. 29 afternoon result is out.