Economic Sector: "Cargo Solidarity's Transport Refusal Is an Extreme Protest... Must Consider Work Commencement Order"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sun-mi] Regarding the prolonged collective transportation refusal by the Cargo Solidarity Union, the business community has expressed that it is an extreme struggle holding national logistics hostage and stated that the government should consider issuing a work commencement order.

On the 12th, economic organizations such as the Korea Employers Federation, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Korean Industries, Korea International Trade Association, Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, and various industry associations announced this position through a "Joint Economic Community Statement on the Cargo Solidarity Union's Collective Transportation Refusal."

The business community explained, "Recently, our economy has fallen into a complex crisis due to a triple hardship of global supply chain disruptions, rising raw material prices, and increased logistics costs. In this situation, the prolonged collective transportation refusal by the Cargo Solidarity Union, an association of transportation operators, is causing disruptions in the supply of cement, petrochemicals, steel, as well as automobiles and electronic components, resulting in significant cumulative damage to manufacturing and trade, which are the pillars of our economy."

They added, "Although the government is striving to minimize the logistics crisis through emergency transportation measures and to resolve issues amicably through dialogue, the ongoing collective transportation refusal by the Cargo Solidarity Union is increasing damage to the national economy and causing greater inconvenience to the public. Now is the time for all economic actors to unite in overcoming the crisis, not to refuse dialogue and engage in collective actions to enforce their unilateral demands."

Furthermore, "Despite the government's declaration to seek a path of coexistence through dialogue, the Cargo Solidarity Union's prolonged transportation refusal is nothing but an extreme struggle holding national logistics hostage. The Cargo Solidarity Union must immediately stop the collective transportation refusal and return to transportation to ensure that the efforts of our people to overcome the crisis are not in vain," they emphasized.

They also stressed, "The government must actively consider issuing a work commencement order depending on the situation to promptly block the enormous ripple effects on the national economy. In particular, if illegal acts such as transportation obstruction or violence by the Cargo Solidarity Union occur, the government must firmly respond according to law and principles to establish the rule of law in industrial sites."

Meanwhile, as the Cargo Solidarity Union Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Public Transport Workers' Union continues its general strike for the sixth day, various conflicts, both large and small, have occurred across the country along with logistics transportation disruptions.