Cargo Solidarity Strike Enters 8th Day...Transportation Disruptions Across Industrial Sites

No Official Dialogue Schedule, but Ministry of Land and Cargo Solidarity Engage in Behind-the-Scenes Talks

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Min-young] On the 8th day of the Cargo Solidarity Union's general strike on the 14th, industrial sites nationwide are suffering damage and transportation disruptions are occurring.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 14th, about 6,800 union members (estimated by the police), approximately 31% of the Cargo Solidarity Union's 22,000 members, are participating in rallies across 14 regions nationwide, continuing the strike.

The container storage rate by port (the ratio of containers actually stored compared to the port's container storage capacity) is 72.7%, slightly higher than the normal level of 65.8%.

However, at some ports such as Busan Port and Ulsan Port, local transportation obstruction acts have caused a decrease in import and export volumes compared to normal times. In the case of Incheon Port container terminal, the storage rate as of 10 a.m. that day was 83.3%, 4.2 percentage points higher than the same time last month (79.1%).

Damage to industrial sites continues as well. Shipment disruptions are occurring in major industries such as steel, tires, cement, and petrochemicals, and production stoppages are gradually becoming visible. In particular, cement shipments have sharply decreased compared to usual, causing some ready-mixed concrete plants to halt operations. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also reported that some steel plants have stopped operations due to lack of storage space.

The Ministry stated that production and shipment volumes are decreasing in some items such as automobiles, steel, and cement, causing disruptions. However, emergency cargo is being supported to be shipped under police protection.

The Korea International Trade Association's Shippers' Council held a press conference that day, stating, "With the Cargo Solidarity Union's collective transportation refusal entering its 8th day, major ports nationwide and key national production facilities have been paralyzed for over a week," and strongly urged, "We strongly urge the Cargo Solidarity Union to return to work, revive export and import cargo transportation, and resume mutually beneficial negotiations."

Despite reaching the 8th day of the strike, the government and the Cargo Solidarity Union have yet to reach a meaningful agreement. Since the breakdown of the 4th negotiation on the 12th, no official dialogue schedule has been set. However, it is known that behind-the-scenes talks are continuing at the working level. According to the government, during the last working-level negotiation, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport proposed a three-year extension of the sunset clause for the Safe Freight Rate System, and the Cargo Solidarity Union reportedly showed a positive stance on this.

Meanwhile, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong visited the inland logistics base (IDC) in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, on the same day to inspect the logistics damage caused by the Cargo Solidarity Union strike and to check the government's emergency transportation measures operation status.

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