HiteJinro truckers end four-month strike after finding common ground

HiteJinro truckers ended their four-month strike, with smaller freight charge increases than hoped for but free from expensive damage claims.

Unionized truckers end the occupation of HiteJinro headquarters and leave the building on Sept. 9 after reaching an agreement with Suyang Logistics, a wholly owned subsidiary of HiteJinro that contracts them. [NEWS1]

HiteJinro truckers ended their four-month strike, with smaller freight charge increases than hoped for but free from expensive damage claims.

Truck drivers under the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union reached an agreement with Suyang Logistics on Friday Sept. 9, ending the strike that started in June. Suyang Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of HiteJinro and contracts truck drivers to deliver products for the alcohol maker.

The trucker union originally requested an increase in freight charges by 30 percent stating surging fuel costs, but agreed on a 5 percent rise. They will receive 150 percent of normal freight charges on holidays.

HiteJinro said it will withdraw damage claims filed to unionized workers on the condition that they don’t go on another strike for the same reasons. The company had sued 25 union members for damages worth 2.8 billion won ($2 million), stating they disrupted production at HiteJinro factories.

During the strike, the truckers blocked roads in front of HiteJinro factories in Gyeonggi's Icheon and North Chungcheong's Cheongju. After the court issued an injunction banning the union from disrupting production at the factories, the union moved the strike to HiteJinro’s headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, and occupied the rooftop of the building on Aug. 16.

Following Friday's agreement, unionized truckers stopped the occupation of HiteJinro headquarters the same day.

A total of 132 truck drivers were fired during the strike, and Suyang Logistics will reinstate most of them, excluding a few key union members.

As part of the agreement, HiteJinro, Suyang Logistics and the Cargo Truckers Solidarity will come together to discuss further ways to improve working conditions for the truckers.

The Euljiro Committee, a group of Democratic Party lawmakers working for employee rights, released a statement Monday and congratulated the union.

"We appreciate that the agreement included HiteJinro, Suyang Logistics and the union engaging in a three-way discussion in the future, and we will do our best so that three parties can engage in meaningful conversations through the meetings," the committee said in a statement.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]