In the investigation of illegal activities at construction sites by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, 2,070 cases of illegal acts were reported at 1,489 sites nationwide for two weeks.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced the results of a survey conducted by 12 construction-related organizations, including the Construction Association of Korea, the Korea Housing Association, and the Korea Professional Construction Association.
There were 681 construction sites in the metropolitan area and 521 in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, with 80% concentrated in the two regions.
By type of illegal activity, demand for monthly wages for tower cranes accounted for the most with 58.7%, or 1,215 cases, followed by forced labor union fees and forced use of equipment.
Monthly wages are customarily paid by construction companies to tower crane pilots, in addition to their salaries, in the amount of 5 to 10 million won per month.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explained that if the request is not met, the construction companies have no choice but to pay the monthly fee by slowly lifting the material or by crying and eating mustard to meet the air by refusing to lift.
In this investigation, 118 construction companies reported the amount of damage caused by the union's unreasonable demands for money and valuables by submitting evidence such as the details of the monthly payment to the account.
The combined damages of these construction companies amounted to 168.6 billion won over three years, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that one company suffered as little as 6 million won and as much as 5 billion won.
Due to illegal activities, construction has been delayed from a minimum of two days to a maximum of 120 days.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs was scheduled to conduct an investigation into illegal activities by the 13th of this month, but said that reports continued.
Starting next week, each association decided to create an anonymous reporting bulletin board to receive online reports, check the details of the reports, and request an investigation into cases in which the facts of damage were concrete.
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong said, "In the meantime, private construction companies have been helplessly dragged into illegal activities by construction unions, and have not even reported to the police for fear of retaliation." revealed.
(Photo = Yonhap News)