Management and labor at Busan Transportation Corporation reached a tentative agreement in collective bargaining on the 22nd, averting a strike planned from the first train on the 23rd. The Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that urban rail trains will run normally on the 23rd.
According to the Kyunghyang Shinmun, the two sides opened the 19th round of 2026 bargaining at 3 p.m. on the 22nd at the Nopo rolling-stock depot. Talks broke down once, then resumed, and a tentative deal emerged in the process. The union had planned to strike from the first train on the 23rd right after the breakdown.
광고 문의 · 300×250What was agreed
The tentative agreement includes a 3.5 percent wage increase. The two sides also agreed to set up a joint labor-management task force to ensure objectivity in staffing, including how on-site safety personnel are counted. Staffing standards appear to have been a main sticking point, but the Kyunghyang article does not detail the issues.
The reports we checked did not say how the final ratification, such as a union member vote, will proceed. Neither a separate notice from the corporation nor the union's position was confirmed. For commuters, the key news is that train service is not affected for now.
Newsis reported last September that Busan's urban rail labor and management also reached a tentative deal just before a planned strike and the walkout was called off. Late-hour talks again spared citizens inconvenience this year, but whether the deal is implemented and the task force proves effective remains to be seen.