Emergency Meeting to Review Crisis Situations at Construction Sites Held at National Assembly on 29th
Sung Il-jong, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party, is speaking at an emergency meeting to assess the crisis situation at construction sites caused by the Cargo Solidarity's collective transport refusal held at the National Assembly on the 29th. (Photo by Yonhap News)
[Asia Economy Reporters Bomryeong Geum, Hyunji Kwon] The People Power Party reiterated its firm stance on strict measures, including 'compensation,' regarding the nationwide general strike by the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
On the morning of the 29th, after the emergency meeting to assess the crisis situation at construction sites caused by the Cargo Solidarity's collective refusal to transport, Sung Il-jong, the Policy Committee Chair of the People Power Party, told reporters, "(The Cargo Solidarity) damaged vehicles and caused various physical damages to the sites, so the construction industry will definitely request compensation for these damages." Representatives from the Korea Construction Association and the Korea Specialty Construction Association attended the meeting.
Chairman Sung explained, "The construction industry requested strict measures in accordance with laws and principles," adding, "Because strict law enforcement had not been carried out until now, many sites collapsed, causing significant difficulties. They requested the government to actively protect these areas."
At the meeting, Chairman Sung also stated, "A tolerant attitude toward the unlawful and illegal acts of a certain minority of militant unions has turned illegality into a custom. The collapse of law and principles at the sites has gradually eroded labor-management rule of law," and added, "The Yoon Suk-yeol administration will guarantee constructive and reasonable proposals and lawful union activities but will never tolerate illegal and unlawful acts."
He further said, "The construction sector is a complex industry. Among all industries, it has the greatest ripple effect on related industries and is directly linked to the economy," emphasizing, "If construction stops in the Republic of Korea, it is equivalent to the country coming to a halt."
On the same day, the construction industry also demanded the issuance of a 'Work Commencement Order.' As the cold winter approaches, structural work and other processes need to be completed, and if this cannot be done in time, the 'golden time' may be missed. Chairman Sung plans to convey these voices from the field to the Presidential Office.
The construction industry also urged the People Power Party to amend the National Contract Act regarding extensions of construction periods. In response, Chairman Sung said, "If the construction period is not completed on time, delay damages must be paid. This puts tremendous pressure on management, so there were voices from the field requesting changes to the National Contract Act concerning extensions of construction periods related to the schedule." He added, "There will be various considerations about where the responsibility lies, and there were considerable concerns about this. We hope the Cargo Solidarity will recognize these issues and actively engage in negotiations."
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