Cargo Workers` Strike Occurred Because of Government Officials` Negligence

President Roh Moo-hyun May 9 criticized government officials for neglecting their responsibilities with regard to cargo workers` strike. The President said, “Although there is a government ministry in charge of labor issues, officials in the relevant ministry failed to prevent the occurrence of such a strike because of their negligence.” He emphasized that government officials should double their efforts to carry out duties in their places so that there should not be a blind spot in dealing with government affairs.

Some of presidential aides told the president that it was not clear which ministry should deal with the matter when cargo workers went on a strike during a meeting of senior presidential secretaries and aides with the President. “Although there is a ministry that should deal with the matter, officials in the ministry tried to pass on responsibilities to others,” presidential spokesman Yoon Tae-young quoted the president as telling his aides in response to some aides` report. The president also said, “Social order is at stake. I will take a stern action to maintain social order. And there should be fundamental and systematic solutions in place to tackle a variety of social conflicts facing the nation.”

Young-Hae Choi yhchoi65@donga.com