Seoul bus strike averted after last-minute wage deal

Published Sep 16, 2026 3:38 am KST

A sign announcing emergency transportation measures in response to the Seoul city bus strike stands at the Seoul Station bus transfer center in central Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Seoul city buses will operate normally Wednesday after labor and management reached a last-minute wage agreement early in the morning, averting a strike that had been scheduled to begin at 4 a.m.

The two sides reached the agreement at around 1:50 a.m. after nearly 12 hours of negotiations at the Seoul Regional Labor Relations Commission.

Under the deal, wages will rise 3.2 percent in 2026, up 0.3 percentage point from last year's 2.9 percent increase.

The two sides, however, left unresolved a key dispute over the number of monthly working hours used to calculate ordinary wages. They agreed to determine the calculation standard after a related Supreme Court ruling expected later this year.

The Seoul city government said it has lifted emergency transportation measures prepared for the strike and that public transportation will operate as usual.

发布于2026年9月16日凌晨3:38（韩国标准时间）

周二，首尔市中心首尔站公交换乘中心竖起了一块告示，宣布为应对首尔市公交车罢工而采取的紧急交通措施。（韩联社）

首尔市公交车将于周三正常运营。劳资双方在清晨达成最后一刻的工资协议，避免了原定于凌晨4点开始的罢工。

经过近 12 个小时的谈判，双方于凌晨 1 点 50 分左右在首尔地方劳动关系委员会达成协议。

根据协议，2026 年工资将上涨 3.2%，比去年的 2.9% 涨幅高出 0.3 个百分点。

然而，双方在计算普通工资所依据的月工作小时数这一关键争议上仍未达成一致。双方同意在最高法院预计将于今年晚些时候作出相关裁决后，再确定计算标准。

首尔市政府表示，已取消为应对罢工而制定的紧急交通措施，公共交通将照常运行。