Seoul: Unionized intracity bus workers in Seoul and management began wage negotiations Tuesday, with just a day remaining until a general strike the unionized workers have warned about if talks are unsuccessful. The two sides entered the last-minute talks at 3 p.m.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the intracity bus union and management have held rounds of negotiation over a wage hike but failed to narrow their differences, heightening the possibility of a walkout for the second consecutive year. Without a last-minute agreement during their final talks, the strike will affect 61 of the capital’s 64 intracity bus companies that run about 7,000 buses on 389 routes, causing severe inconvenience to citizens as well as commuters.

Unionized bus workers have demanded an 8.2 percent hike in their base pay. But the management has insisted that the labor’s proposal will have the effect of raising wages by 25 percent if regular bonuses are included in the ordinary wage in accordance with the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. The union has threatened to stage the general strike from the first buses on Wednesday if no agreement is reached by the previous day. Last year, the unionized workers went on strike for the first time in 12 years since 2012 after wage negotiations broke down.

The Seoul city government said it will increase subway service by 173 times per day during commuting hours and operate free shuttle buses between major locations and subway stations to help reduce the inconvenience of citizens. Meanwhile, the Seoul bus strike may spread to other parts of the country, as unionized bus workers in three southeastern cities — Busan, Changwon, and Ulsan — have also threatened to walk out on Wednesday.