Cargo Truckers Solidarity and Transport Ministry Fail to Reach Agreement in Fourth Talks on Safe Trucking Freight Rate, "The People Power Party Opposed"

Members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity take part in a ceremony before the launch of a general strike demanding a guarantee of their right to survival amidst rising gas prices and the approaching end of the Safe Trucking Freight Rate policy at an inland container depot in Uiwang, Gyeonggi on June 7. Mun Jae-won

The Cargo Truckers Solidarity of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport failed to reach an agreement after engaging in the fourth talks on extending the Safe Trucking Freight Rate--the minimum wage for truckers--scheduled to end this year and expanding the policy to all types of vehicles and cargo. The truckers’ union expressed its regret claiming that the parties failed to reach an agreement because of opposition from the People Power Party. The Cargo Truckers Solidarity continued its general strike for the seventh day.

On June 13, the Cargo Truckers Solidarity announced that the union negotiated with the transport ministry in their fourth meeting, which lasted over eight hours from 2 p.m. Sunday, but that the two failed to reach an agreement.

According to the union’s explanation, the union and the government had been discussing the announcement of a “Joint Statement to Restore Normal Operations of the Logistics Industry” by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity, the transport ministry, the People Power Party and the shippers’ association since the third talks on June 11. After a long negotiation, the parties reached a tentative agreement to maintain the Safe Trucking Freight Rate and to actively continue discussions on expanding the system to other items. But the People Power Party changed its mind at the last minute and broke off the agreement.

The Cargo Truckers Solidarity said, “The People Power Party overturned the agreement claiming that it wasn’t a problem of revising a few sentences in the draft, but that they could not agree on the joint statement itself.” The party then informed the union that no further discussion was possible. The transport ministry then asked the truckers’ union to announce the joint statement as a bilateral agreement between the Solidarity and the government, excluding the People Power Party and the shippers’ association.

The truckers’ union said, “The Cargo Truckers Solidarity approached the table because we respected the grand significance of the four-party talks, but the transport ministry said that the four-party talks was impossible and unilaterally suggested an alternative that retreated from the original plan.” “We confirmed that the transport ministry is not willing to solve the problem through talks with the Cargo Truckers Solidarity, and that the People Power Party is not willing to be responsible as the party in government,” claimed the union. They further said, “We will fight more fiercely and continue our general strike indefinitely.”

The transport ministry said, “The talks were suspended because we decided we could not accept the proposal by the Cargo Truckers Solidarity after a review,” and explained, “The agreement that the Solidarity disclosed was one that was discussed in the working-level discussions, and it was not a final agreement discussed by related parties.”

The Safe Trucking Freight Rate is a system that publicly announces the minimum freight rate to improve the working conditions of cargo truckers, who are often forced to overwork themselves, overload cargo, and exceed the speed limit. The policy is scheduled to end at the end of this year, and the Cargo Truckers Solidarity launched a general strike on June 7 claiming that the transport ministry refused to state a clear position and was neglecting this issue.

According to the Trucking Transport Business Act, the minister of land, infrastructure and transport must announce the following year’s Safe Freight Rate after deliberation and voting by the Safe Freight Rate Committee by October 31. If the system does not expire and is maintained in 2023, the board must discuss the safe rate next month. But the government has yet to decide whether or not to maintain the system. An amendment has been proposed stipulating a permanent operation of the Safe Trucking Freight Rate, but there have been no discussions on this issue at the National Assembly.

The Democratic Party of Korea supports the need to extend the Safe Trucking Freight Rate and to expand the scope of the policy. The People Power Party argued that the system had an adverse effect on the economy and has demanded the Cargo Truckers Solidarity to end its strike. However, recently, the party refused to disclose its specific position on the Safe Trucking Freight Rate. The formation of parliamentary leadership for the second half of the 21st National Assembly is being delayed, and the truckers’ union is asking lawmakers to form a parliamentary leadership solely to resolve the issue of the Safe Trucking Freight Rate.