“Government emphasizes law enforcement without proceeding with discussion on safe fare system”
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, one year before sunset, disagrees with National Assembly report, “Let’s discuss through TF”
“Clarify whether it is extended or not” Cargo Solidarity, plans for today’s Democratic Party meeting
Second day of strike… Liquor wholesale vehicle that came directly to transport soju A wholesale liquor vehicle carrying soju was passing by on the 8th, the second day of the general strike of the Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), next to the strike vehicle parked on the road near the Icheon Factory in Hitejinro, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. Icheon | Reporter Han Soo-bin
On the 8th, the second day of the general strike, the Korean Federation of Trade Unions’ Public Transport Workers’ Union Cargo Solidarity Headquarters (hereinfollowing referred to as the Cargo Solidarity) announced that it would continue the general strike, saying, “The government is only emphasizing law enforcement without actual intervention efforts.”
The government says it is “ready to talk” to the demands of freight workers, such as the abolition of the safe fare system sunset system, but is not trying to communicate with the workers or proceeding with the discussion process.
The Cargo Solidarity held a press conference at the Education Center of the Korean Federation of Trade Unions in Jung-gu, Seoul on the morning of the same day, explaining the purpose of the strike and criticizing the government’s initial response. Kim Young-min (non-union member), a freight worker who participated in the strike, said, “Before the introduction of the safe fare system, I suffered from overwork by sleeping for three hours to earn even a little more money. “If the safe fare system disappears, there is a lot of concern regarding whether we can go back to the past and live,” he said.
“It is regrettable that the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport did not make efforts to mediate through a press release, such as reducing the meaning of the strike or emphasizing strict law enforcement,” said Park Yeon-su, head of the Cargo Solidarity’s policy planning department. Although the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been stating that it is “ready to have dialogue with the Cargo Solidarity” every day, the Cargo Solidarity criticized it for being consistent with a lukewarm attitude regarding the safety fare system sunset system issue.
Looking at the minutes of the first meeting of the Land Transport Committee of the 358th Special Session of the National Assembly in 2018, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport analyzed the results of the implementation of the safe fare system a year before sunset while passing a bill to amend the Freight Vehicle Act, which includes the introduction of the safe fare system. The need for extension or system supplementation should be reported to the National Assembly. Accordingly, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted a study on the ‘performance analysis and activation plan of the freight vehicle safety fare system’, and the results of the study were published earlier this year. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport should have reported this to the National Assembly and discussed whether to abolish the safe fare system sunset system, but no report has been made to the National Assembly yet.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said that it was planning to form a safety freight task force (TF) earlier this month and start a full-scale discussion, and is in the position to proceed with the discussion through the task force. On the other hand, the Cargo Regiment said, “Now is not the time to talk regarding TF. Please report the results to the National Assembly and clarify your position on whether to extend it.”
An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, “It is not that I did not try to report to the National Assembly Standing Committee, but because there is an election, there is an aspect that (procedure) has been delayed because of the political schedule.” The idea is to first form a TF so that stakeholders can gather and talk.”
Civil society groups held a press conference for Cargo Solidarity Support and Solidarity on the same day and said, “What the government should do is not to impose strict sanctions on workers who are in danger of survival, but to make sincere efforts to solve practical problems.”
The Democratic Party of Korea plans to hold a meeting with the Cargo Solidarity at the National Assembly on the 9th. The Democratic Party is planning to confirm the need for a safe fare system and urge the government to resolve it amicably. Park Hong-geun, floor leader of the Democratic Party, said last month that it was necessary to extend the safe fare system sunset deadline or expand the scope of the target.
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