Sampyo Industry to Provide Advance Payment to Ready-Mix Concrete Drivers Before Chuseok

A workshop for long-term contract drivers of Sampyo Industry last January.
[Photo by Sampyo Industry]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Sampyo Industrial, the main affiliate of Sampyo Group, a construction basic materials specialist, announced that it will provide advance payments to all ready-mix concrete (Remicon) transport drivers contracted with the company ahead of Chuseok, the largest traditional Korean holiday. Up to 900,000 KRW per person will be paid to about 1,000 drivers at 26 Remicon plants nationwide, with the option for installment repayment within the year.

This is the only system in the Remicon industry, and especially this year, the payment target has been temporarily expanded to all contracted vehicle owners. This is due to the economic difficulties faced by Remicon transport operators caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the unprecedented long rainy season this summer, which led to a decrease in Remicon shipments. Sampyo Industrial has previously provided advance payments in cash only to some contracted vehicle owners around the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays each year.

A Sampyo Industrial official said, "With the continued downturn in the construction market and ongoing COVID-19, we anticipated that transport operators would face significant financial burdens ahead of the holidays, so the company decided to share some of the difficulties by providing advance payments," adding, "We plan to further expand ways to coexist and continuously cooperate with transport operators and other partner companies."

Meanwhile, Sampyo Group is implementing various programs to promote coexistence with Remicon transport operators. For the first time in the industry, it established a financial support system for replacing old vehicles through a business partnership (MOU) with Hyundai Commercial. Through this system, about 400 mixer trucks were replaced with new vehicles, achieving zero major accidents.

Additionally, the company operates factory tours and workshops to listen to the difficulties and encourage the efforts of outstanding long-term contractors, as well as group insurance programs to prepare for economic losses in case of injuries.

Special attention is also paid to the safety of transport drivers. Sampyo Industrial developed the industry's first dedicated navigation system for Remicon mixer trucks and operates a mobile maintenance system where the headquarters maintenance team regularly inspects old vehicles. The company is actively engaged in safety education and the installation of handrails and reflective strips on all vehicles to prevent accidents.