<Anchor> The
cargo union is going on strike tomorrow (24th).
The issue is the safe fare system, but the government and labor unions still have different opinions.
Next week, strikes on the Seoul subway and railroad are also announced.
This is reporter Jo Yoon-ha.
<Reporter> The
cargo union is going on strike again starting tomorrow.
As in the strike in June, the safe fare system is a key issue.
The safe fare system is a kind of minimum wage that guarantees an adequate income for truck drivers.
It was introduced for three years from 2020, and will end at the end of this year.
During the strike in June, the government and labor unions agreed to extend the system, but discussions have stalled in the National Assembly.
The government and the ruling party proposed an extension of three years, but the cargo union refused, saying that they would have to repeat the same fight three years later.
[Nam-Jun Paik/ Truck driver: Even if it disappears, we will die anyway, whether the car goes down because we can’t pay installments because we can’t work while on strike, or if we starve to death because we don’t have living expenses at home, we will die anyway.
There is no place to back down.] The
government said it would respond to illegal activities in accordance with laws and principles.
[Han Deok-soo/Prime Minister: At this point in time when we need to focus all our efforts on reviving our economy, collective transportation refusal is a choice that will hinder our economy.
] There is no way to stop it.
The construction union also held a large-scale rally in Seoul, urging the enactment of the Special Construction Safety Act, saying that the number of deaths at construction sites has not decreased.
On the 30th, the Seoul Subway Union went on strike against the policy of reducing the current quota by 10%, and on the 2nd of the following month, the railroad union announced a strike.