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Thousands of trade unionists protest in South Korea against government's attempts to force striking truckers back to work

THOUSANDS of protesters marched in South Korea’s capital Seoul on Saturday to denounce government attempts to force striking lorry drivers back to work.

The protest came after drivers walked out in a dispute over the price of freight.

The marchers, mostly members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, accused President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative government of ignoring what they described as the drivers’ harsh work conditions and financial struggles, worsened further by rising fuel costs.

On Tuesday the government issued an order for 2,500 drivers of cement lorries to return to work, saying that their walkout is affecting the national economy, though it wasn’t immediately clear how many drivers returned to work following the order as their union vowed to continue the strike.

Thousands of members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity union have been striking since last week, calling for the government to make permanent a minimum freight rate system that is due to expire at the end of this year.

While the minimum fares are currently applied to shipping containers and cement, the strikers are also calling for the benefits to be extended to other cargo. 

Container traffic at ports recovered to 81 per cent of normal levels as of Saturday morning after dropping to just 20 per cent earlier in the week, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure & Transport.

Tuesday’s order marked the first time a South Korean government has exercised its controversial powers under a law revised in 2004 to force drivers back to their jobs. A failure to comply without “justifiable reason” is punishable by up to three years in jail or a maximum fine of $22,400 (£18,200). Critics say the law infringes constitutional rights because it doesn’t clearly define what qualifies as acceptable conditions for a strike.

Officials say they issued the “work start order” to cement lorry drivers first because the construction industry was hit hardest by shipment delays. They say they are considering expanding the order to drivers transporting fuel as a second step, citing concerns about possible shortages at petrol stations.

Mr Yoon’s government has offered to temporarily extend the minimum freight fares for another three years — but baulked at the demand to widen the scope of such payments.

Drivers say the minimum-rate system is crucial for their finances and safety, saying that without it, they are forced to increase their deliveries and drive dangerously to make ends meet.

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