Won Hee-ryong: "Construction Union Sympathy Strike is an Act that Puts Construction Sites into Greater Difficulty"

Visit to Construction Sites Affected by Cargo Solidarity Sympathy Strike
Strict Legal Action Against Illegal Acts Such as Work Interference
Directed at Minnochoong: "Reduce Organized Violence, Gangster-like Behavior"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] On the 5th, Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, criticized the National Construction Workers' Union, which joined the Cargo Solidarity strike, saying it was "an act that plunges construction sites into greater difficulties in addition to the Cargo Solidarity's collective transport refusal that holds the lives of the people and the national economy hostage."

Minister Won visited a multi-family housing construction site in Busan, which is suffering damage due to the construction union's sympathetic strike, and said, "Such attempts are not only illegal in themselves but also unacceptable."

Regarding the construction union's moves to halt construction in the Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam (Bu-Ul-Gyeong) region, including emergency orders to block ready-mixed concrete pouring, he warned, "We will strictly respond according to the law to illegal acts by the construction union such as obstruction of work, forced hiring, and demands for money to establish a sound labor order at construction sites."

Earlier, on the 2nd, the construction union held a press conference supporting the Cargo Solidarity's collective transport refusal and announced a sympathetic strike. In particular, they declared they would start halting construction such as ready-mixed concrete pouring in the Bu-Ul-Gyeong region.

Minister Won said, "As the weekend passed, the return movement of general cargo truck owners became clear, so to prevent disruption to the struggle plan, the Cargo Solidarity leadership has been sending a large number of text messages ordering the physical blocking of concrete work and ready-mixed concrete pouring at construction sites in the Bu-Ul-Gyeong region, which has also been reported in the media."

He added, "Such attempts are not only illegal in themselves but also unacceptable," and stated, "It is outrageous how they interfere with other processes and try to stop production using their organized power."

Minister Won strongly criticized the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). He said, "Using the organized collective power to employ force and threats instead of dialogue and normal transactions is violence, and reducing organized violence is what we call organized crime. Threatening families and construction sites when injured workers seek legal protection is a 'lawless zone' and an 'anarchic zone,' and such things are happening at construction sites."

He warned that such practices will no longer be tolerated. He said, "The government’s will is to eradicate this by either appointing a protector equivalent to a sheriff in the American Western frontier era or dispatching construction protection supervisors like labor inspectors," and emphasized, "We will never leave such lawless phenomena as they are."

Minister Won urged the construction industry to "immediately report any illegal acts by the construction union to relevant agencies," and stressed, "We will cooperate closely with the police to ensure prompt investigation and punishment of reported cases, thereby truly realizing labor-management rule of law based on law and principles."