[Anchor]

The labor union and management of Seoul's city buses are holding their second mediation meeting today, September 15, to discuss the method of applying regular wages and the rate of wage increases. If they fail to reach an agreement, the union plans to launch a full-scale strike starting with the first buses tomorrow. In response, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has prepared emergency measures, including deploying 1,500 free shuttle buses and expanding subway operations.

Reporter Yoon Nara has the details.

[Reporter]

The Seoul city bus labor and management will hold their second mediation meeting at 2 p.m. today at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission.

During the first mediation meeting on the 9th, both sides failed to find common ground regarding the application method for regular wages and the wage increase rate.

Citing the Supreme Court ruling in the Dong-A Transport case last April, the union is demanding that the standard calculation hours for regular wages be set at 176 hours, along with a 7.85 percent wage increase.

However, management has pushed back, arguing that the Dong-A Transport case is still undergoing remanding proceedings and that the 176-hour standard cannot be accepted.

Management stated that accepting the union's demands would incur additional costs of over 500 billion won annually, proposing instead a wage system reform based on 209 hours along with a 10.32 percent wage increase proposal.

Recognizing fewer standard hours—used to calculate how much the monthly regular wage translates to on an hourly basis—results in a higher wage payout, which is more favorable to the union.

The union plans to go on strike starting with the first buses at dawn tomorrow if no agreement is reached in today's mediation.

To prepare for the strike, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has prepared emergency transportation measures, including deploying up to 1,500 free chartered buses and increasing subway operations by 202 trips per day.

Additionally, during the bus strike period, roadside bus-only lanes will be opened to regular vehicles, town buses will be utilized as alternative transportation, and public rental bicycles, Ttareungi, will be made free of charge.

The city has also requested schools and public institutions in Seoul to delay their school and work start times by one hour.

The Seoul Bus Union previously staged a two-day strike last January, also demanding changes to the regular wage application method and wage increases.

(Video Editing: Lee So-young)