KCWF Might Push for General Strike Again

The Korea Cargo Workers Federation, or KCWF, whose general strikes in May caused nationwide cargo disaster for two weeks, has decided to push for yet another collective action as early as on August 20.

KCWF held a press interview at the Korea Confederation of Trade Union`s building in Youngdeungpo, Seoul on August 4 and said that it would ˝boycott cargo operations beginning the 20th if the labor-management and the labor-government negotiations continue to yield no outcome.˝

The federation held a member vote from July 21 through 31 and decided to launch a general strike with 72.9% in favor of the collective action.

˝While freight owners and transporters fail to yield any tangible outcome in negotiations, workers continue to suffer from growing pressure,˝ explained KCWF. ˝Some of workers killed themselves out of desperation.˝

The federation also urged the government to implement the 11 points of the agreement signed on May 15. At that time, the government pledged that it would arrange insurance programs for cargo workers, improve the exploitive contracting conditions and establish facilities such as resting stops.

˝Workers are saying that we should take a collective action at once, but we have decided to wait until August 20 since we prefer to solve the problem through discussions and negotiations,˝ said an official at KC WF.

˝Container and cement cargo divisions are seeking to have discussions through the government, while general cargo division hoping to talk with freight owners such as Samsung Electronics directly,” he also said. “If they refuse to talk, we will take a collective action in various forms regardless of the preset date.˝

Meantime, the government held a deputy minister-level meeting presided over by the Minister of Construction and Transportation and decided to provide full support for negotiations on freight fares.

But the participants agreed that the government would mobilize police force ahead of the planned collective action if the negotiations fail. They also agreed to set an emergency cargo delivery plan led by the Ministry of Construction and Transportation.

The government will also urge freight owners and companies to take due legal actions such as seeking damage, letting workers go and filing criminal charges against the strike. 12 freight owners including Samsung Electronics and POSCO are considering seeking damage if freight workers push for a general strike.

Kyung-Joon Chung Jae-Seong Hwang news91@donga.com jsonhng@donga.com