The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) announced Monday that it is joining the South Korean transport workers’ strike, which has been going on for almost two weeks.
Union leaders have explained that South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol has issued an unconstitutional order to deal with the truckers’ strike, urging work and increasing pressure on workers, reports Yonhap Agency.
Thus, the KCTU has indicated that it will hold large-scale rallies across the country — in 15 localities — on Tuesday under the slogan ‘Win the struggle of the truckers’ general strike! Yoon government’s oppression of labor crushing!’
The union, which has nearly one million members, including metalworkers in the auto industry, shipbuilding and chip industry, has not disclosed the number of participants who will attend the protests.
YOON COMPARES STRIKE TO PYONGYANG’S NUCLEAR THREAT South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol told a closed-door ministerial meeting in response to the transport union strike that the workers’ refusal to end the work stoppage «is the same as Pyongyang’s nuclear threat, Yonhap news agency has learned.
Yoon said union members should take action against acts that hinder the strikers’ return to work, while warning against illegal acts.
«If we succumb to illegal acts and violence, the vicious cycle will repeat itself,» Yoon said before clarifying that «the government’s job right now is to protect citizens from crime.»
The South Korean president ordered on Sunday to prepare a presidential executive order to force the striking truck drivers to return to work in order to reactivate the fuel and steel sectors. Days earlier, Yoon had already ordered by decree the return to work of truckers in the cement sector and left the door open to extend the measure to other sectors.
The truckers have been on strike since November 24 to demand a minimum wage. The strike has caused delays in cement and steel shipments and has also affected the fuel sector.
