[Editorial] Gov't must examine reasons behind cargo workers' strike

The cargo workers' strike has entered its fifth day. The situation is such that we might see another "distribution chaos" like that of 2003. During their strike in May 2003, ports became heaps of shipping containers, forcing companies to turn elsewhere and causing foreign shipping companies to give up on even calling on Korean ports. Most media coverage focused on how the "distribution chaos" hurt the economy and asserted that obstructing vehicles not participating in the strike is an attack on public order that must stopped. That kind of approach will not properly solve the problem.

If there had been any progress on the plans to improve shippers' pay - something the government and the Korea Cargo Transport Workers Union agreed to when the 2003 strike came to an end - then this current strike would never have happened. This situation will be repeated in the future if interest is not taken in carrying out in good faith agreements between the government and the union, as well as interest in what the union's demands are, and in ways to find a solution.

One of the union's main demands is a standard charge schedule. Essentially, its members are asking for the government to guarantee them a "minimum wage" by creating a standard for how much transport jobs should be worth. When the industry liberalized, there was a rapid increase in the number of truck owners and logistics companies, and shipping charges dropped significantly. Eventually, shipping costs fell below what they were in 1997. Workers are saying they would be able to "avoid death and go on living" if the government simply adopted some pay standards. The situation is not one where the government can just sit back and do nothing while expecting market forces to work things out.

Another problem is the "introduction fees" taken by the middle-man companies that exist as job brokers between truck owners and shipping companies. In severe cases, particularly when a vehicle owner repeatedly has to pay to find work, the introduction fees can end being almost half of what is paid for the actual shipping. If eliminating the go-between companies altogether is impossible, then there should be a cap on how much can be charged for such services. The union and the industry met several times this year to talk about ways of streamlining the charge schedule, but the government actually got in their way. The Fair Trade Commission said that such negotiations amounted to price fixing, even though truck owners are "independent businessmen" in name only. Ultimately, all the problems end up being a question of whether the union's members are legally "workers" or not. Recognizing them would improve their lives greatly, and it may even be in the interest of the national economy - both things well worth considering.

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