Cargo Haulers’ Strike Enters Sixth Day
By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
Cargo haulers continued their walkout for the sixth day Wednesday, but a growing number of drivers are reaching individual agreements with consigners regarding transport rates.
Striking truckers are calling on large consigners and freight owners to accept their demands for sharp increases in freight rates. Whether the demands are accepted will determine the course of a strike that has nearly paralyzed cargo traffic at major seaports.
Negotiations with the Container Transportation and Container Yard Operators' Association were held for the fourth time Wednesday. The association suggested a 16.5 percent rise in transport fees, an increase from its previous proposal of 13 percent, with truckers demanding 30 percent.
Freight owners ― whether manufacturing or trading companies ― and contracted haulers are also holding separate negotiations with a growing number of them reaching an agreement. More and more truckers are returning to work and hauling cargo at major ports, which were at full capacity Monday.
LG Chem said its transport company reached an agreement on freight rate hikes with its truckers.
Despite the small-scale agreements, the negotiation to end the strike is still deadlocked, as major freight owners, such as Samsung Electronics and Daewoo Electronics, have not struck any agreements.
Both the government and striking truckers urged the freight owners to come to the negotiation table.
The government, which announced a set of administrative measures to help ease truckers' troubles Tuesday, urged big companies to actively take part in negotiations, saying the government is doing all it can.
``The government will not present further measures for both consigners and drivers even if the strike continues. The two sides should focus on negotiations, not wait for a government solution,'' Chung Jong-hwan, minister of land, transport and maritime affairs, said.
As part of its measures, the government said it will spend 100 billion won buying 3,600 trucks to help remove the glut on the market, and provide 50 billion won in subsidies for truckers to convert their diesel engine trucks into liquefied natural gas (LNG) ones.
In the meantime, dump truck and other construction-related vehicle drivers under the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, one of the two umbrella unions, scrapped their walkout, saying they would accept the government's proposal. But those under the other umbrella union, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, are refusing to return to work.