Union, government should reach compromise quickly

Unionized truck drivers launched a walkout across the country from 7 a.m. Monday, raising fears of turmoil in cargo transportation for the first time in four years.

Despite the indefinite strike led by the Korean Cargo Transport Workers' Union under the wing of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, few problems have as yet been reported concerning transportation. The truckers' union said about 80 percent of 380,000 truckers all over the country would take part in the nationwide action but it was not immediately known how many took part on the first day.

The union, which has about 10,000 members, has made five demands of the government: improvements in the so-called standard freight charge system, a 30-percent increase in transportation fees, industrial accident compensation insurance for all truckers, tax exemption on fuel and the introduction of standardized contracts. At the heart of the latest dispute is the standard freight charge system, which the union claims benefits only large logistics companies.

Under the current system drivers, self-employed subcontractors, have to pay commission to logistics firms and middlemen every time they sign a deal to carry goods. The drivers are supposed to receive only 40 percent of the fee for each delivery. The government promised a better system in 2008, when the truckers last staged a strike. Yet there has been no change as the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs claims there are several problems in introducing a new system.

The government said in a joint statement Monday that it will take tough action against the strike, labeling it illegal. The strong stance stems in part from the worsening status of the global economy due to the eurozone debt crisis.

We feel sympathetic to trucker's difficulty in making a living. Press reports have it that their average work hours amounted to 319 hours per month during the fourth quarter of last year. In contrast, their average income remained at about 1 million won a month. Prices of fuel, which account for nearly half of transportation costs, have surged 24 percent since 2008.

True, the government has not been swift in tackling the situation, given that there was enough time to settle the case through dialogue after the truckers voted to strike in February. The government should now make all-out efforts to minimize disruptions in cargo transportation by taking contingency measures.

What's important is for truckers and the government to iron out a compromise at the earliest possible date. In the lead-up to the settlement, the truck drivers will have to avoid illegal acts such as occupying roads, taking into consideration that the success of the strike will depend in large part on public opinion.

In this respect, we are concerned that the unionized truckers may be behind serial arsons that set fire to tens of cargo trucks owned by non-union members in Gyeongsang Province early Sunday morning.