a signal transmission method and apparatus of a user equipment for a mobile communication system is provided for improving data transmission reliability and efficiency by transmitting data based on precise discrimination of the uplink transmission resource assignment messages indicative of initial transmission and retransmission . a signal transmission method of a user equipment for a mobile communication system receives an uplink transmission resource assignment message from a base station determines whether a hybrid automatic repeat request buffer is empty , and when the harq buffer is empty , transmits to the base station a media access control protocol data unit generated with reference to information contained in the uplink transmission resource assignment message .