LORRY drivers striking for a minimum income guarantee to be extended as fuel bills soar could cause “irrecoverable” economic damage, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo raged today.
The country’s number two politician after President Yoon Seok Youl railed against striking drivers for blocking cargo at SOuth Korea’s south-eastern ports, saying their “illicit activities” will never receive public support.
Mr Yoon is seen as an anti-union figure, having denounced trade unions as overpaid troublemakers during his election campaign. However, he denied having anything against unions after the strike began, asking: “How could anyone hostile to organised labour become a politician?”
The strike has lasted eight days, delaying shipment of delivery of steel, cement, petrochemicals and tyres and forcing some plants to halt operations.
Drivers are demanding extension of the Safe Trucking Freight Rate introduced in 2020 because of the disruption caused by Covid. They say the income guarantees are just as essential now, with fuel prices rising by 46 per cent in the last year and now swallowing up nearly 50 per cent of earnings, according to picketing drivers.
But the rate is due to expire and the government says drivers must negotiate their pay with their employers. It says the opposition in a hung parliament is preventing progress on replacing or renewing the rate, though the opposition lays the blame at the government’s door.
The drivers have condemned a police crackdown, with 44 arrested on Monday, though police said they had released 42 of them by the end of the day. Two more were arrested today.
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Economic damage is so far estimated at 1.6 trillion won (just over £1 billion), with the impact mainly on domestic industry.
But ministers worry that extended action will hit supply chains already affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine and resulting sanctions, plus by China’s recent Covid lockdowns in major cities including the world’s biggest port, Shanghai.
Cargo Lorry Drivers Solidarity union leader Kim Jae Gwang said the union is considering extending action to blockade coal-fired power plants. While it is currently allowing traffic to prevent the shutdown of petrochemical facilities that would take time and money to restart if operations halt, this could be reconsidered if ministers continue to block progress at negotiations, he said.
