Ready-mix Concrete Industry Postpones 10-Day Shutdown... "Only Hanil Cement Ultimately Refused Proposal"

Protest Against Cement Price Hike with Strike Threat
Two Negotiations Held but No Agreement Reached
Remicon Production Suspension Delayed to 19th

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The small and medium-sized ready-mixed concrete (remicon) industry has decided to postpone the suspension of operations for 10 days in order to continue negotiations with cement companies. Earlier, over 900 remicon companies had announced an indefinite halt in remicon production starting tomorrow (the 10th) in protest against the cement price increase.

On the 9th, the Korea Federation of SMEs and the Win-Win Growth Committee stated that although they arranged two negotiation sessions between the cement and remicon industries to prevent a production halt, no agreement was reached.

At the first meeting on the 28th of last month, Hanil Cement, Hanil Hyundai Cement, Ssangyong C&E, Sampyo Cement, and Sungshin Cement maintained that the cement price increase was inevitable. Due to the attendance of some participants without decision-making authority, the negotiations ended without approaching a consensus.

At the second negotiation on the 7th, unlike the first meeting, responsible officials from Hanil Cement, Ssangyong C&E, and Sungshin Cement attended. Halla Cement and Sampyo Cement conveyed to the Win-Win Growth Committee via email and phone that they were willing to positively consider the decisions made that day.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also observed the talks, and under a shared understanding and expectation to prevent the remicon production halt, negotiations lasted for eight hours.

On that day, the emergency response committee composed of the remicon industry proposed January 1 of next year as the final date for the price increase. Although the cement companies seemed to agree, Hanil Cement insisted on a November 1 price increase, resulting in the collapse of the negotiations.

Except for Hanil Cement, Ssangyong C&E, Sungshin Cement, Sampyo Cement, and Halla Cement showed a positive stance toward the price increase on January 1 next year, so the suspension of production was postponed for 10 days until the 19th.

A representative of the emergency response committee stated, "Since there has been no progress in negotiations with Hanil Cement, we plan to prepare separate measures to respond."

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