Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon has expressed his stance regarding the Seoul City Bus Labor Union's threat to go on strike on the 16th if wage negotiations break down, stating, "The feet of our citizens must not be taken hostage once again."

In a post uploaded to Facebook today (the 14th), Mayor Oh pointed out, "The city bus union has threatened to launch a full-scale strike if wage negotiations do not go their way," adding, "This comes just eight months after the strike last January plunged Seoul's commute into massive chaos."

He continued, "A situation where citizens have to worry and tremble in anxiety over their commutes twice a year is by no means normal."

Mayor Oh explained, "The starting point of this conflict is the Supreme Court ruling that regular bonuses must be included in ordinary wages," and added, "While the union is demanding that the standard calculation time for ordinary wages be applied at 176 hours per month along with an additional 7.85% hike in hourly wages, legal disputes remain ongoing as related lawsuits are still pending regarding the calculation hours for ordinary wages."

He further argued, "If all of the union's demands are accepted, the annual salary of long-term city bus drivers would soar from around 68 million won last year to 85 million won—an increase of nearly 20 million won at once," noting, "Such a sharp wage hike is not only difficult for any company to bear, but it also fails to meet the expectations of the citizens who would ultimately have to shoulder the burden."

At the same time, he criticized, "While the intent of the Supreme Court ruling must naturally be respected, using this ruling as leverage to demand a lump-sum wage increase that places a massive burden on Seoul's finances is excessive behavior by any standard."

Mayor Oh also stated, "Even though there is ample room to negotiate at a rational level reflecting the ordinary wage ruling, threatening a full-scale strike right from the start while demanding additional wage hikes on top of the increases mandated by the Supreme Court ruling is effectively using citizens' right to mobility as a hostage in negotiations."

He added, "Seoul city buses are utilized by an average of about 3.8 million people a day and are a lifeline for citizens that must never be allowed to stop," noting, "When buses stop, citizens living in areas far from subway stations and vulnerable transportation users suffer the most and take the biggest hit first."

He urged, "Currently, railways, urban subways, and air transportation are designated as essential public services, guaranteeing minimum operations through essential maintenance personnel even during strikes, but city buses can stage a full-scale strike," adding, "The government and the National Assembly must immediately step up to revise the law to designate city buses as an essential public service before it is too late."

Addressing the bus union, he stated, "You must not forget that you are responsible for the movement of millions of citizens every day," urging them, "Rather than putting a full-scale strike first and plunging citizens into anxiety, you must engage in negotiations with a responsible attitude until the very end."

Mayor Oh emphasized, "No justification can take precedence over the daily lives of our citizens," adding, "We will make every possible effort to ensure that labor and management can find a rational common ground until the very last moment."

The Seoul City Bus Labor Union has announced that if a wage negotiation agreement is not reached by the 15th, it will go on strike starting with the first buses on the 16th.

In preparation for the unprecedented situation where a second city bus strike of the year could occur, the Seoul City Government has prepared emergency transportation measures, including deploying free shuttle buses (chartered buses) and increasing subway operations.