Employment Minister: "Public Concern Over Hwamyunyeondae Strike... Must Be Withdrawn Immediately"

On the 24th, when the Cargo Solidarity Union began an indefinite general strike, members of the Cargo Solidarity Union held a send-off ceremony near the Uiwang Inland Container Terminal in Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] The Ministry of Employment and Labor has begun full-scale measures to respond to the Cargo Solidarity strike.

On the 24th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor announced that it has established a comprehensive situation countermeasure headquarters and formed on-site guidance teams at 48 local offices nationwide to respond to the Cargo Solidarity strike. Earlier, the Public Transport Union Cargo Solidarity Headquarters started a collective transportation refusal from midnight on the same day, demanding the abolition of the sunset clause on the Safe Freight Rate System and the expansion of applicable items.

The Ministry plans to monitor daily trends related to collective transportation refusal at each site centered on the countermeasure headquarters. In addition, the Ministry stated it will respond strictly if any illegal activities occur during the Cargo Solidarity strike.

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik said, “In difficult economic conditions, public concern is very high due to the Cargo Solidarity’s collective transportation refusal,” and urged, “We call on the Cargo Solidarity to immediately withdraw the collective transportation refusal.”