"All Prices Have Risen, But Only Ours? 'Raise Our Transportation Fees!' ... Gyeongnam Ready-Mixed Concrete Association General Strike Rally"

Members of the National Construction Workers' Union Gyeongnam Construction Machinery Branch Ready-Mix Concrete Chapter are holding a general strike resolution rally. / Photo by Se-ryeong Lee ryeong@

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Nationwide Construction Workers' Union Gyeongnam Construction Machinery Branch Ready-Mix Concrete Sub-branch launched a general strike on the 18th.

On this day, the Gyeongnam Ready-Mix Concrete Sub-branch workers held a general strike resolution rally in front of the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Office road to win the ready-mix concrete wage and collective agreement struggle.

About 2,000 members from 24 ready-mix concrete companies in the eastern region including Miryang, Uiryeong, Changnyeong, Changwon, and Haman, as well as from the Busan and Ulsan areas, participated.

Choi Il-ho, head of the Gyeongnam Construction Machinery Branch, said, "We have lived like servants because we did not fight properly," and asserted, "As all prices rise, the ready-mix concrete transportation fee must also be reasonably increased."

In their resolution, they stated, "We do not want to live being bullied by the ready-mix concrete capital and construction capital," and pointed out, "The ready-mix concrete manufacturers are refusing even to negotiate, claiming the union's demands are too high."

They also criticized, "The manufacturers deny the existence of the union and only show signs of regressing to the past," and "While the prices of side dishes, fuel, and parts have all risen, only the wages of construction workers and the transportation fees of ready-mix concrete transport workers have not increased."

The Construction Workers' Union Gyeongnam Construction Machinery Branch Ready-Mix Concrete Sub-branch signs wage and collective agreements with the Ready-Mix Concrete Council once every two years.

Both sides held the first negotiation on March 25, the second on April 19, and the third on the 3rd of this month, but negotiations broke down again, and the sub-branch declared a strike, accusing the council of insincere participation in negotiations.

The Ready-Mix Concrete Sub-branch eastern region conducted a general strike approval vote with 471 union members over two days from the 11th to the 12th, with 87.7% voting in favor of the strike.

The Ready-Mix Concrete Sub-branch demands include ▲ raising the first transportation fee to 50,000 won ▲ paying 200,000 won each for Lunar New Year, Chuseok, and summer vacation bonuses.

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