Truckers Back to Work

The Korea Cargo Workers Union returned to work and decided to negotiate haulage rates at each workplace.

Entering the seventh day of strike, the truckers’ union reached an agreement with the Container Transportation, Container Yard Operators’ Association (CTCA), which handles a third of the nation’s containers, to raise the haulage rate by 19 percent yesterday.

Also, they agreed to raise the shuttle transport charge by 10 percent and introduce a standardized price system and create a bill on the price system from 2009.

As container trucks return to work, the nation could avoid serious disturbance in the logistics.

As of June 19, some 47 workplaces agreed to a rate increase. Major ports and warehouses seemed to be full of vigor as large workplaces such as LG Chem and Glovis successfully negotiated with truck drivers.

Earlier in the day at Busan Port, major consignors and truck drivers agreed to end walkout and some 2,000 container trucks returned to work.

In Korea, some 5,000 container trucks belong to the truckers’ union, among 20,000 trucks. At Busan Port, about 3,080 container trucks operate.

At the Yeosu National Industrial Complex in South Jeolla Province, tank lorries and cargo trucks with capacity of 5 tons or less began delivering freight.

At the Uiwang Inland Container Depot, some 155 container trucks out of 255 trucks belonging to 16 transport firms began operation. Among 780 trucks at Incheon Port, 320 units returned to work.

Steelmakers such as Hyundai Steel, Hyundai Hysco and Dongkuk Steel Mill reached an agreement to raise haulage rates by 14 to 27 percent.

Chemical firms including LG Chem in the Daesan Petrochemical Complex, Hanju, Unid and Yeosu Complex agreed to raise the rate by 13 to 26 percent.

Kim Chun-seon, head of logistics and port department of the Transport Ministry, said, “As container truck drivers returned to work, the recent logistics problem has been effectively resolved.”

daviskim@donga.com