Rather than negotiate, S. Korean government, ruling party browbeat truckers ahead of mass strike

Posted on : 2022-11-24 16:58 KST Modified on : 2022-11-24 16:58 KST
Some observers are stressing the responsibility of the administration and PPP, noting that they have taken no follow-up action in the five months since a June agreement with the unionized truckers
A truck bearing a banner tied to the work stoppage by unionized truckers moves through an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 23. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)
A truck bearing a banner tied to the work stoppage by unionized truckers moves through an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 23. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

One day ahead of a planned strike by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Division (TruckSol), the South Korean government and ruling People Power Party (PPP) signaled their intent to crack down sternly on what they described as a “political” action.

Affiliated with the umbrella Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union, the truckers’ solidarity last went on strike in June for eight days.

Some observers are stressing the responsibility of the administration and PPP, noting that they have taken no follow-up action in the five months since a June agreement with TruckSol to “discuss the continuation of the safe trucking freight rate and expanding the applicable items,” or any steps to solve the problem through dialogue as a distribution crisis looms.

In a general meeting of PPP lawmakers at the National Assembly on Wednesday, the party’s floor leader Joo Ho-young called the TruckSol general strike a “political strike where the ‘right answer’ has already been decided.”

“I hope the administration will respond to this illegal action firmly according to the law and principles without backing down an inch,” he urged.

Joo also stressed that the union’s members will “have to bear all legal responsibility for their illegal actions if they do proceed with a collective transport boycott.”

“TruckSol must withdraw its strike declaration at once,” he said.

In a videoconference with metropolitan and provincial police agency chiefs that day, Yoon Hee-keun, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, called on them to “respond more rigorously than ever and with zero tolerance according to the law and principles under the command of nationwide metropolitan and provincial police chiefs if TruckSol does not withdraw its plans for a collective transport boycott and proceeds with an illegal action that exceeds the legal limits.”

In addition to judicial action, Yoon also hinted at the use of administrative measures such as suspending or revoking driving qualifications.

In contrast with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s calls on Tuesday for TruckSol members to “return to dialogue,” the administration had not made any dialogue overtures to the union as of Wednesday afternoon.

At the same time, it has been stressing the “emergency measures” taken by the Korea Customs Service, which plans to extend the freight loading and removal period until the strike ends, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which has set up a joint emergency transportation measure headquarters with representatives from relevant agencies.

A truck bearing a banner tied to the work stoppage by unionized truckers makes its way through an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 23. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)
A truck bearing a banner tied to the work stoppage by unionized truckers makes its way through an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on Nov. 23. (Shin So-young/The Hankyoreh)

After a strike in June, the administration agreed to discuss measures such as the extension of the safe trucking freight rate, which expires at the end of the year, and its expansion to other categories, including containers and cement. The TruckSol said it was “not right” for the administration to reject dialogue for over five months, only to now begin talking about the “illegality” of the strike.

A National Assembly special committee on “livelihood and economic stability” similarly fizzled out after failing to pass related legislation late last year.

A day earlier, the administration presented a plan for a three-year extension to the sunset period, which TruckSol deemed to be a “plan for deferring the strike by three years.”

“In a situation where the administration has no expertise or philosophy when it comes to labor-management relations, they’re showing no willingness to actively resolve things, and with the bureaucrats just hanging on and waiting for guidelines, they don’t have the ability to control social conflict,” said Jung Heung-jun, a professor of business administration at Seoul National University of Science & Technology.

“Responsibility for this strike lies with the administration and ruling party, which are responsible for legislation and administration,” he added.

TruckSol planned to hold launch ceremonies for the general strike at 16 local headquarters at 10 am on Thursday.

“Union members are feeling very disgruntled about the administration declaring two days before the strike that it would not accept the expansion of safe trucking freight rate items,” the union said.

“At distribution bases, they are encouraging non-union members to also take part in the strike,” it added.

On Wednesday, officials with other unions affiliated with the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union — including ones for railways, subways, buses, taxis, ports, and airports — held a press conference to announce that they were “refusing to provide replacement transportation services for additional freight that arises during the TruckSol strike.”

By Jeon Jong-hwi, staff reporter; Park Tae-woo, staff reporter; Oh Yeon-seo, staff reporter; Jang Na-rye, staff reporter; Choi Ha-yan, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

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