[Column] Cargo Solidarity Strike, Politics Without Mediation

Unable to Discuss Bill Subcommittee, Livelihood Special Committee Also Left Unresolved
Politics Fails to Play Role in Clarifying, Specifying, Institutionalizing Conflicts
Need to Start Government-Labor Dialogue for Follow-up Legislation on Safe Freight Rates

Lee Bong-ju, Chairman of the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters, and others are holding a "Press Conference for the General Strike of the Cargo Solidarity: Preventing the Deterioration of Safe Freight Rates! Abolishing the Sunset Clause! Expanding Vehicle Types and Items!" on the 22nd at the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Solidarity in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference on the 11th near the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, declaring their struggle to block the deterioration of the safe freight rates, abolish the sunset clause, and expand vehicle types and cargo items. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The Cargo Solidarity Union has ultimately launched an indefinite general strike. The logistics chaos that began at ports, container bases, cement factories, and steel mills is expected to shake the entire economy. On top of already struggling with high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates, the Korean economy faces potential damages worth trillions of won.

However, looking at the political sphere's movements, it is questionable whether there is any will to resolve the issue. On the same day, Lee Eun-joo, floor leader of the Justice Party, held a press conference in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office and supported the Cargo Solidarity Union, stating, "The Safe Freight Rate System should be operated as a permanent system guaranteeing stability, not as a temporary system with a three-year sunset clause or a three-year extension."

The Democratic Party of Korea also decided to hold a meeting between the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters and floor leaders to discuss expanding the Safe Freight Rate System. The Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party said, "There can be no room for negotiation regarding the selfish behavior of holding the people and national industries hostage to grow their own organizations." The general strike seems only to sharpen political conflicts.

The 'Safe Freight Rate System,' which caused the strike, has long been a difficult issue in the logistics industry. Every time the sunset clause approaches, there has been a direct confrontation between labor and government. The social costs have been significant. The situation was resolved through follow-up legislation and mediation at the special committee level. However, bills to expand the scope of the Safe Freight Rate System and abolish the sunset clause have not even been discussed. The Special Committee on Livelihood Economy Stability, which ended last month, started ambitiously but only received reports from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the implementation results and discussion points of the Safe Freight Rate System, confirming only the differences between the ruling and opposition parties.

An important role of politics is to identify acute social conflicts and prepare alternatives to resolve them through institutionalization. If politics neglects the role of visualizing, concretizing, and institutionalizing conflicts, political parties lose their reason for existence. Such a society inevitably rots from suppressed conflicts. Even now, the National Assembly must promptly conclude follow-up legislation to establish and expand the Safe Freight Rate System according to the June labor-government agreement and engage in dialogue.