Tower crane operators end strike over unmanned cranes

Economy

Tower crane operators end strike over unmanned cranes

Tower crane operators halted their strikes against the rising use of unmanned cranes at 5 p.m. Wednesday as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced it will form a joint committee to resolve the issue.

The committee will consist of the ministry, construction companies, civic groups and two major umbrella labor groups - the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) - that started a nationwide strike.

Tower crane workers of the FKTU and the KCTU started occupying 2,500 out of 3,000 tower cranes across the country Monday, demanding better safety standards and policies with a 7 to 8 percent increase in wages. Officials said earlier those groups were protesting as they viewed unmanned cranes as a threat to their job security.

By Ko Jun-tae