South Korean media has reported that truckers strike to protest a sharp surge in fuel costs has continued for the third day on 9 June 2022 for a third day, disrupting production, slowing activity at ports and posing new risks to a strained global supply chain. South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport said that about 7,200 members or about 30% of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union are on strike. A transport ministry official said there had been drops in shipments of some products including steel and cement, but the country was not yet seeing a significant disruption in logistics and the government is meeting with relevant industry officials to prevent such a situation. However, union officials said the number of participating members was much higher and they were joined by non-union truckers.South Korean steelmaker POSCO said it has not been able to ship about 35,000 tonnes of steel products from two plants daily, equivalent to about one-third of its daily shipments from those plants, since the strike began on 7 June 2022.The truckers, regarded as self-employed contractors, are seeking pay increases and a pledge that an emergency measure guaranteeing freight rates, which was introduced amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is due to expire in December, will be extended. Cargo truckers are calling on the government to increase the number of recipients of the Safe Trucking Freight Rates System, which ensures minimum rates of pay and safer working conditions for truck drivers. They also want it to apply to a wider range of trucks, not just container trucks and cement trucks. The strike has presented new South Korean President Mr Yoon Suk-yeol with one of his first big economic challenges.
South Korean media has reported that truckers strike to protest a sharp surge in fuel costs has continued for the third day on 9 June 2022 for a third day, disrupting production, slowing activity at ports and posing new risks to a strained global supply chain. South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport said that about 7,200 members or about 30% of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union are on strike. A transport ministry official said there had been drops in shipments of some products including steel and cement, but the country was not yet seeing a significant disruption in logistics and the government is meeting with relevant industry officials to prevent such a situation. However, union officials said the number of participating members was much higher and they were joined by non-union truckers.South Korean steelmaker POSCO said it has not been able to ship about 35,000 tonnes of steel products from two plants daily, equivalent to about one-third of its daily shipments from those plants, since the strike began on 7 June 2022.The truckers, regarded as self-employed contractors, are seeking pay increases and a pledge that an emergency measure guaranteeing freight rates, which was introduced amid the COVID-19 pandemic and is due to expire in December, will be extended. Cargo truckers are calling on the government to increase the number of recipients of the Safe Trucking Freight Rates System, which ensures minimum rates of pay and safer working conditions for truck drivers. They also want it to apply to a wider range of trucks, not just container trucks and cement trucks. The strike has presented new South Korean President Mr Yoon Suk-yeol with one of his first big economic challenges.
