-Observing Whether the Situation Expands Amid Hardline Stance by the Presidential Office and Government
-Discussing Variables Including Results of Cement Industry Work Commencement Orders
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] The Presidential Office and the government, which had repeatedly warned of a tough response to the Cargo Solidarity general strike, are currently deliberating on the timing of issuing an additional work commencement order. Despite the nationwide general strike announced by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the 6th, President Yoon Suk-yeol has emphasized "law and principle" and maintained a strict response stance, but for now, the plan is to observe whether the situation escalates.
According to the Presidential Office, at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister that morning, no agenda regarding an additional work commencement order was submitted. The work commencement order requires Cabinet deliberation as an administrative procedure, but at this meeting, only time was allocated for ministers of related departments to report on the damage situation and response strategies concerning the Cargo Solidarity general strike. A government official stated, "We discussed the conditions for immediately issuing the work commencement order and reported on responses to the refining and steel sectors, where damage expansion is a concern," adding, "Discussions on administrative sanctions in line with the President's tough response policy were also addressed."
At the same time, President Yoon received a report on the damage caused by the strike at the Yongsan Presidential Office building. A Presidential Office official said, "All practical preparations for issuing the work commencement order have already been completed, and a final decision is expected to be made based on the sector-specific situations reported through the Cabinet meeting and other channels."
The government's pause on the 6th is partly due to the fact that the results of the first work commencement order issued to the cement industry have not been concretely confirmed. As of the previous day, the government estimates that among 33 transport companies in the cement sector, 29 have resumed transportation or expressed their intention to return, and among 791 truck owners, 175 have done so, but this has not been precisely verified. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is also verifying the return status of those who received the work commencement order, making it burdensome to hastily expand the scope of the order.
Reports that cement shipments, which had once fallen below 10% due to the general strike, have recovered to nearly 90% also influenced the decision. This means that cement shipments have practically entered a normalization phase following the government's work commencement order. The industry explains that once the shipment crisis at some distribution bases in the metropolitan area is overcome, the possibility of a "shutdown" crisis due to inventory shortages will disappear.
However, the Presidential Office and the government are closely monitoring the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' general strike and the Construction Workers' Union, which declared a solidarity strike with Cargo Solidarity. Since large-scale construction sites are already experiencing disruptions, if the damage spreads, the government plans to immediately respond in accordance with "law and principle." Sanctions for illegal acts are also expected to be promptly enforced. A typical measure is the cancellation of cargo transportation qualifications for those who disobey the work commencement order. The government has previously announced that all those refusing to return to transportation will face prosecution, and that measures such as arrest on the spot will be taken against those involved in assault, threats, or damage against non-participants in collective transportation refusal and cargo owners.
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