National Assembly Land Committee Member: "The Opposition's One-Sided Discussion on the 'Safe Freight Rate System'... Are They Loyal to the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Lee Hyun-joo] On the 2nd, the Democratic Party of Korea held a standalone meeting of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee’s Traffic Bill Subcommittee to review the extension bill for the sunset clause of the Safe Freight Rate System, specifically the related bill, the "Amendment to the Freight Motor Vehicle Transport Business Act." Meanwhile, the People Power Party condemned this, calling it "an act of becoming a henchman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and even engaging in commissioned legislation."

Members of the People Power Party belonging to the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee issued a statement saying, "The Democratic Party unilaterally convened the Traffic Bill Subcommittee of the Land Committee without agreement on the agenda and began discussing the Freight Motor Vehicle Transport Business Act," adding, "This solo subcommittee meeting, held just ten days after unilaterally pushing through the 2023 budget, is nothing short of a parliamentary outrage."

The KCTU side, which is pushing to expand the items subject to the Safe Freight Rate System, also participated in the bill subcommittee meeting that day. In response, the People Power Party criticized, "Not only did they force through the budget, but ignoring the damage to the national economy, they are defending the KCTU Freight Solidarity’s collective transport refusal and acting as their henchmen by engaging in commissioned legislation. We cannot help but be outraged at the Democratic Party’s behavior."

They also pointed out problems with the current Safe Freight Rate System, such as ▲being the only country among the 38 OECD member countries to punish consignors ▲having no effect on improving traffic safety. People Power Party lawmakers demanded, "The Democratic Party, which is destroying parliamentary democracy by wielding its overwhelming majority, must immediately withdraw the forced convening of today’s Land Committee Traffic Bill Subcommittee and, from now on, engage in bipartisan cooperation to discuss ending the unjustified collective transport refusal by the Freight Solidarity, which is marked by illegal and violent acts."