Park Yong-jin Criticizes Yoon's Work Commencement Order, Asking "Do You Think Just Being Tough Is Enough?"

"Blaming Only Workers... Completely Ignorant of the Real World"

Park Yong-jin, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Park Yongjin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol's issuance of a work commencement order on the 29th regarding the strike by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Public Transport Workers' Union Cargo Solidarity (Cargo Solidarity), saying, "He knows nothing about the world."

Park appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that day and said, "It is done in a way that only holds workers responsible."

He said, "The Safe Freight Rate System was created and institutionalized through social agreement to guarantee the safety and minimum living wages of cargo transport workers," adding, "While the entire political sphere bears responsibility for not perfectly implementing it, the government previously promised to create a social agreement. (However,) they are only blaming the workers."

Introduced in 2018 during the Moon Jae-in administration, the Safe Freight Rate System was implemented as a 'three-year sunset' system and is set to expire at the end of this year. In response, Cargo Solidarity has been conducting an indefinite general strike for six days from the 24th, demanding the abolition of the sunset clause and the expansion of the system's applicable items. The government proposed a compromise to extend the Safe Freight Rate System for three more years, but Cargo Solidarity considers it a proposal aimed only at stopping the strike and intends to continue the struggle.

Regarding the current Cargo Solidarity strike situation, Park said, "Both the previous and current governments are responsible. The National Assembly has also done nothing well." However, he criticized President Yoon's issuance of the work commencement order, saying, "He knows nothing about the world," and added, "He seems to think that being tough is enough." He also said the government is not thinking about reaching a smooth agreement but only about "cracking down."

He emphasized, "The losses to companies and society caused by the strike show how important and valuable the work done by these workers is," and said, "(Regarding the permanent institutionalization of the Safe Freight Rate System demanded by Cargo Solidarity,) it is right to fully establish it. There needs to be proper consultation and discussion on how to share the costs and burdens involved."

On the same day, President Yoon issued a work commencement order related to the Cargo Solidarity general strike. The work commencement order was introduced in 2004 in response to the Cargo Solidarity general strike, and this is the first time it has actually been applied.

In his opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the morning, President Yoon explained, "Logistics such as cement and steel have been halted, causing construction and production sites nationwide to stop, and our industrial base is at risk of being devastated," adding, "To prevent a more serious crisis to the national economy, we have no choice but to issue a work commencement order for those refusing transportation in the cement sector."

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