Tollgate Collectors Begin Indefinite Hunger Strike... Pressuring Political Circles Ahead of General Election

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-gi] Tollgate toll collectors affiliated with Korea Expressway Corporation will begin a hunger strike in front of the Blue House on the 17th.

The Tollgate Branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Democratic General Labor Union held a press conference in front of the Sarangchae at the Blue House that morning and announced that Branch Chief Do Myung-hwa and Yoo Chang-geun, head of the Korea Expressway Corporation Sales Office Branch of the Public Solidarity Union, would start an indefinite hunger strike.

Kim Kyung-ja, senior vice chairperson of KCTU, said at the press conference, "Without the direct employment of all 1,500 tollgate workers, President Moon’s resolution of the public sector irregular workers issue and Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun’s Thursday Club, modeled after the Swedish win-win model, are all deceiving workers," adding, "Take responsibility so that union members who endured the summer heat, Chuseok holidays, and winter cold can return home for the Seollal holiday."

Branch Chief Do and Branch Head Yoo began the hunger strike and demanded statements from the Blue House and the Korea Expressway Corporation. They pointed out, "The Supreme Court ruling has already set the standards and criteria for resolving the situation," and said, "If the Korea Expressway Corporation were a normal public institution, it should have made a judgment at that time."

They continued, "The Korea Expressway Corporation is continuing the same lawsuit and is making an unreasonable claim that employees hired before and after 2015 should be judged differently," explaining, "This is a decision to change the cruel and irrational reality where the mass dismissal of tollgate workers is not being resolved."

About 1,500 tollgate toll collectors were dismissed last July after opposing the establishment of a subsidiary for regular employment conversion and demanding direct employment. Earlier, the Tollgate Union affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) conditionally agreed to direct employment with the Korea Expressway Corporation in October last year, but about 250 members affiliated with KCTU rejected the agreement, saying it contradicts the Supreme Court ruling, and have continued their protest in front of the Blue House until now.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.