South Korean truckers block ocean ports in wage strikes

The strikes, which began this week, are a result of truck drivers from South Korea's Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union calling for the Safe Trucking Freight Rates System to be made permanent and for a minimum wage system to be implemented to help counter the continued fuel price rises.

Some 25,000 truckers from the union have supported the action which is blockading South Korea's two busiest ports, Busan and Gwangyang, and has caused box traffic to drop to 40% off normal operating levels. Around 11,000 of the 25,000 union members joined Thursday's strikes, which covered 60 sites including shipping hubs in the Gyeonggi area.

So far, the Korea International Trade Association has received 32 complaints lodged by 19 shippers that have been disrupted by the ongoing industrial action. The complaints in part come from shippers that are being penalised financially as a result of delayed deliveries whilst others relate to the manufacturing of goods.

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