Report: South Korean truck drivers go on strike

Transport Minister Kang Ho-in called the walkout by more than 7,000 unionized truckers “unjustified” and “an act of betrayal,” vowing swift action against participants, according to a report from Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.    More than 7,000 unionized truck drivers went on strike today in South Korea, adding to the country’s recent shipping woes, according to a report from Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
   Transport Minister Kang Ho-in called the walkout illegal and “an act of betrayal,” vowing swift action against participants.
   “Staging a walkout is an act of betrayal that ignores the efforts and sacrifice of many working day and night for this country and its economy,” Kang said in a public address from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in Sejong, 120 kilometers south of Seoul. “Therefore, the government will sternly deal with this unjustified strike by the union of truck drivers in accordance with the law and principle.”
   The South Korean shipping sector has been under tremendous pressure in the past year due to the downturn in demand in cargo transportation and shipbuilding. Hanjin Shipping, the country’s largest ocean carrier, filed for court receivership Aug. 31, setting off a chain of events that left global supply chains in chaos as shippers attempted to rescue cargo stranded aboard Hanjin-operated vessels.
   The trucking walkout comes during a prolonged strike by members of the country’s railroad and subway union, putting further pressure on Korea’s cargo shipping industry.
   As of Monday, 7,390 of the total 18,351 unionized railroad and subway workers were participating in the strike, which began two weeks ago, according to the ministry.
   The ministry estimates rail freight operations have been cut in half since the beginning of the strike. This has forced local shippers to rely more heavily on trucks to move export and import cargo to and from the country’s ports, according to Yonhap.
   With the latest strike, the Korean government estimates trucking volumes could drop as much as 32 percent from normal levels.
   “The government will do its utmost to minimize any damage from the collective action by mobilizing all available means,” said Kang. Efforts will include the emergency deployment of around 100 military cargo trucks and drivers, as well as additional resources and temporary workers to bolster railway operations.
   Kang added that those drivers taking part in the strike will be disqualified from receiving government subsidies on fuel for up to six months.
   “Lastly, I once again urge the truckers’ union to immediately end its strike that will have a serious negative impact on the national economy,” he said.