Striking truckers to return to work Wednesday

Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and unionized truckers meet on Tuesday. [NEWS1]

Unionized truckers on strike will return to work as of Wednesday, with the government promising to engage in discussions to extend support measures.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Cargo Truckers Society met at the Uiwang Inland Container Depot in Gyeonggi on Tuesday, making the decision to end the strike at around 10:40 p.m.

This marks an end to their strike which saw drivers refuse to transport cargo and block distribution centers from June 7.

The transport ministry said it will report the results of the so-called freight charge system — a system that requires minimum payments to container, cement and cargo truck drivers — to the National Assembly so that discussions to extend the support measure can continue. The system was implemented in 2020 but was slated to end this December.

Discussions to give fuel subsidies to the truckers will also start in the National Assembly. The truck drivers on strike have been asking for the subsidy considering fuel costs have been surging recently.

In exchange for promises to start discussions to extend support measures, truck drivers who have been on strike promised to return to work starting Wednesday morning.

“The entire world is walking on thin ice from economic struggles due to high price and high interest rates, and I think we should cooperate with each other,” said President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, when asked about the strike ending by reporters.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]