Opposition highest among those in their 70s at 85.6%

Commuting disruption cited as top concern by far

Two-thirds of residents unaware strike was planned

Seoul city bus management and union representatives hold a second mediation session Monday, a day before the union's planned strike, over a labor dispute involving the application of regular wages and pay increases. [Yonhap]
Seoul city bus management and union representatives hold a second mediation session Monday, a day before the union's planned strike, over a labor dispute involving the application of regular wages and pay increases. [Yonhap]

Eight in 10 Seoul residents oppose a planned full strike by the city's bus union, which has announced it will walk off the job starting with the first buses Wednesday morning, with concerns about disruptions to daily commutes and school travel topping the list of reasons.

The Seoul Institute announced Tuesday that 81.3 percent of respondents opposed a full city bus strike, based on an online survey of 1,000 Seoul residents aged 19 and older conducted over two days beginning Monday.

Specifically, 43.0 percent said they "strongly oppose" the strike, while 38.3 percent said they "generally oppose" it. Those in favor accounted for 9.9 percent of respondents, with 8.3 percent saying they "generally support" it and 1.6 percent saying they "strongly support" it.

Opposition was the majority view across all age groups. Residents aged 70 and older showed the highest opposition rate at 85.6 percent, followed by those in their 40s at 85.2 percent, those in their 60s at 82.9 percent, those in their 50s at 81.7 percent and those in their 30s at 80.9 percent. Even among the youngest group surveyed — those aged 19 to 29 — 71.1 percent opposed the strike.

Among those who opposed the strike, 80.5 percent cited disruptions to daily travel such as commuting and getting to school as their primary reason, in a multiple-response question.

The next most common reasons were that bus services are a public service funded by taxpayer money and government fiscal support, cited by 47.0 percent; that the union's demands are excessive, at 38.7 percent; and that strikes are becoming a recurring pattern following one in January, at 33.1 percent.

Some 25.9 percent said the dispute should be resolved through dialogue and negotiations rather than a strike, while 24.6 percent cited the hardship a strike would cause for elderly and disabled residents with limited access to alternative transportation.

Those who supported the strike cited the need to improve working conditions and treatment. Among supporters, 53.5 percent said improvements to working conditions — including long working hours — were necessary, while 45.5 percent said better treatment could lead to improved safety on the road. Another 41.4 percent said wage increases were needed given rising prices and living costs.

On bus usage frequency, 29.7 percent of respondents said they ride city buses almost every day, 24.7 percent said three to four times a week, and 23.3 percent said one to two times a week. In total, 77.7 percent said they use city buses at least once a week.

Only 33.4 percent of respondents said they had known in advance about the planned Wednesday strike. Of those, 8.1 percent said they were aware of the specific details, while 25.3 percent said they only knew a strike had been announced. The remaining 66.6 percent said they had no prior knowledge of the planned walkout.


th5@heraldcorp.com