Truckers strike at HiteJinro clogs traffic in Gangnam

Social Affairs

Published: 18 Aug. 2022, 18:35

Truckers strike at HiteJinro clogs traffic in Gangnam

Some 900 members of Cargo Truckers Solidarity rally outside the HiteJinro headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Hundreds of striking truckers occupied roads outside the HiteJinro headquarters in Gangnam District, southern Seoul on Thursday afternoon, prompting the police to dispatch hundreds of its own forces.

The protest was the latest development in Cargo Truckers Solidarity’s months-long strike against the liquor company, and neither side is showing any sign of backing down.

Drivers contracted by Suyang Logistics to work at HiteJinro factories have been on strike since June, demanding their freight charges increased by 30 percent.

The drivers are part of Cargo Truckers Solidarity, which is part of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the more radical of the two major umbrella union groups in Korea.

The union occupied parts of the HiteJinro headquarters for several days this week.

Some 20 truck drivers have been protesting in the first-floor lobby, while 10 others are known to be on the rooftop - threatening to jump off the building if the police try to force an end to their occupation.

The union has also threatened to set the building on fire if the police get involved.

About 60 union members have been protesting outside the building, sometimes blocking HiteJinro employees from entering.

The protest mushroomed on Thursday afternoon when members of Cargo Truckers Solidarity, reportedly 900 of them, occupied three of seven car lanes plus the sidewalk in front of the HiteJinro headquarters in Gangnam for a massive rally.

The police, which dispatched 240 officers to the scene before Thursday’s rally, said it more than doubled its forces to 600 officers on standby.

No serious clashes were reported.

Traffic, however, was clogged on roads nearby. A man in his 40s who asked not to be named for this article told a JoongAng Ilbo reporter that it took him over 20 minutes to drive 500 meters (0.3 miles), far more than the usual minute or less.

A Gangnam resident in her 20s who also spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed frustration about the loud noises coming from the daily strike, blaming the police for failing to silence them.

In response, a police spokesperson said they were trying to convince the workers to end the headquarters occupation peacefully and refrain from any illegal activities such as property damage.

Cargo Truckers Solidarity held rallies in HiteJinro factories in Icheon, Gyeonggi and Cheongju, North Chungcheong last month, and has been holding a strike in the Hongcheon, Gangwon factory since Aug. 2, forcing soju and beer production to temporarily halt.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN, CHAE HYE-SEON [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]