Democratic Party Unilaterally Approves 'Three-Year Extension of Safe Freight Rate System' in Land Transport Committee Subcommittee
[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] On the 9th, Democratic Party lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee held a Traffic Bill Review Subcommittee meeting and passed an amendment to the "Freight Motor Vehicle Transportation Business Act" to extend the sunset clause of the freight truck safety freight rate system by three years. As was the case at the subcommittee on the 2nd, the People Power Party lawmakers protested, saying, "The Democratic Party should immediately stop the legislative show," and did not attend. From the government side, Eo Myeong-so, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attended.
The Democratic Party lawmakers on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee convened the subcommittee around 10:10 a.m. that day and added a supplementary provision to the amendment of the Freight Motor Vehicle Transportation Business Act stating that "the safety freight rate system will operate until December 31, 2025," and approved it. The Democratic Party plans to hold a full committee meeting of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee around 11:30 a.m. following the subcommittee to process the amendment.
Choi In-ho, chairman of the Traffic Subcommittee and a Democratic Party lawmaker, said, "The Cargo Solidarity has entered the process of withdrawing the strike and has effectively accepted the government's proposed three-year extension of the safety freight rate system sunset clause," adding, "Despite the fact that the government's condition of 'prior return (followed by discussion on the safety freight rate system)' has already been met, the ruling party insists that it is not a three-year extension." Choi said, "In short, (the People Power Party) is changing their words and making irresponsible claims," and urged, "Since the government and ruling party's three-year extension proposal has been accepted, they should cooperate with the National Assembly's processing."
Choi In-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference regarding a constitutional amendment proposal at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
The safety freight rate system is a system that publicly announces the minimum freight rate that freight truck owners receive. It was introduced as a three-year sunset system starting in 2020 for two items, "export-import containers and cement," following the amendment of the Freight Motor Vehicle Transportation Business Act in 2018. The sunset clause expires on December 31 of this year.
The Cargo Solidarity went on strike demanding the addition of more items to the safety freight rate system beyond the existing containers and cement. The Democratic Party advocated for extending the sunset clause and expanding the applicable items, but when the People Power Party rejected it, the Democratic Party expressed willingness to accept the government and ruling party's proposal to extend the sunset clause by three years without expanding the items, and passed the proposal that day.
During the meeting, lawmakers on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee continued to criticize the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for not attending the Traffic Bill Review Subcommittee related to the safety freight rate system on the 2nd.
On the 8th, when the government issued an additional work commencement order to the Cargo Solidarity Union, containers were piled up at the Uiwang IDC in Gyeonggi Province. / Uiwang - Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
Lee So-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker and member of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee's Traffic Subcommittee, also expressed regret, saying, "I regret that the government and ruling party boycotted the previous 'safety freight rate system' bill review subcommittee," and added, "Since this is an issue that should be decided by the National Assembly, and they have been passing the responsibility, the Vice Minister should apologize for not attending the properly conducted bill review subcommittee."
Hong Ki-won, also from the same party, said, "It is a serious problem that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport did not attend the legally conducted bill review subcommittee," and asked, "The subcommittee on December 2nd had no legal issues, so will attendance be judged based on whether there is agreement between the ruling and opposition parties?" In response, Vice Minister Eo said, "Since the previous collective transport refusal by the Cargo Solidarity occurred, I have been staying up every night," and added, "Due to the national economic crisis, I could not participate," and said, "I will keep that in mind."
Eom Myeong-so, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, attended the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Subcommittee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 9th and received a report from Ministry officials before the meeting began. The Democratic Party is expected to approve a proposal to extend the sunset clause of the "Safe Freight Rate System" by three years at the Land Subcommittee meeting. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@
The People Power Party lawmakers on the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee who did not attend the subcommittee that day issued a statement saying, "We cannot acknowledge the Democratic Party's unilateral conduct of the meeting." Kim Jeong-jae, the ruling party's secretary of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, held a press conference at the communication center and directly criticized, "The Democratic Party has once again become a henchman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions." Kim said, "If the reason for forcibly passing a government proposal that has already lost its effect is to provide justification for the Cargo Solidarity's withdrawal of transport refusal, the legislative show must stop immediately."
Kim said that the government's original proposal was "If there is no transport refusal, the safety freight rate system will be extended for three years." Since the Cargo Solidarity did not abide by this and started a collective transport refusal, the original government proposal lost its effect. Kim said, "The leadership of the Cargo Solidarity should apologize to the public for the collective transport refusal that caused enormous national economic losses," and raised his voice, saying, "The Democratic Party should also apologize to the public for instigating, overlooking, and sympathizing with the Cargo Solidarity's transport refusal."
Meanwhile, the safety freight rate system passed by the subcommittee that day is expected to be approved at the subsequent full committee meeting of the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. Even if it passes the full committee, procedures such as the Legislation and Judiciary Committee and the plenary session remain.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
