President Yoon Suk-yeol bangs the gavel to begin a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yoon signed an executive order to force unionized truckers, who have been staging strikes since Nov. 24, to return to work. Courtesy of the presidential office

Gov't move triggers backlash from labor unions, opposition parties

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol signed an executive order on Tuesday to get unionized truckers to return to work, just days after he voiced concerns that their strike would cause serious damage to the nation's logistics, construction and other industries.

The decision, which came into effect immediately, drew a backlash from labor unions and opposition parties which claim that the ongoing negotiations between the government and the labor unions will be negatively affected.

"The Cargo Truckers Solidarity (CTS) has staged strikes since Nov. 24," Yoon said during a Cabinet meeting. "The transport of cement and steel has come to a halt, suspending construction and production across the country, and the country's industrial base will be devastated," he added.

"Members of the CTS, please return to your jobs before it gets too late," Yoon stressed. "During my presidency, I will strengthen the rule of law in labor-management relations and there will be no compromise with illegalities," he said.

Trucks are parked at a ready-mixed concrete firm in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, when unionized truckers were staging strikes for the sixth consecutive day. Yonhap

The CTS, a sub-organization under the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union (KPTU), estimates that up to 25,000 members have gone on strike since Nov. 24, demanding that the government guarantee a minimum freight rate.

The number of truckers taking part in the strike accounts for just 5 to 6 percent of the total number of lorry drivers. But most of the striking truckers drive large containers or bulk cement trailers and economic losses are inflicted mainly on the construction materials or steel industries.

The government estimates that the delivery of cement has declined by up to 95 percent after the strike began, causing supply chain disruptions at most construction sites across the country.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, on behalf of the government, and the CTS engaged in their first negotiations on Monday, but failed to narrow their differences. The second round of negotiations is slated for Wednesday, but the government decided to invoke the executive order to stop the strike.

The executive order took effect immediately after Yoon signed it. Therefore, the land ministry will send documents ordering more than 2,500 striking truckers to return to work.