Home » World » South Korean truckers union ends strike, unable to win public support | Reuters

South Korean truckers union ends strike, unable to win public support | Reuters

On December 8, South Korea’s truckers union decided to end its nationwide strike after a vote by union members. FILE PHOTO: Uiwan, South Korea, November 2022. REUTERS/Heo Ran

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s truckers union said on Monday it had voted to end the nationwide strike, according to a vote by union members.

The background is that President Yoon Seok-yeol has been taking a hard line, such as issuing an order to return to work, due to a lack of public support. Drivers say they are most at risk of losing income and jobs.

The strike was causing confusion in the supply chain.

About 62 percent of union members supported an end to the strike, according to the CTSU union.

The union’s 25,000 truckers and some non-union members went on strike on November 24, demanding that the minimum wage be made permanent and expanded.

In South Korea, truck drivers went on strike for eight days this summer. Both sides said they had won concessions, but the strike has seen the government reject union demands and domestic businesses willing to accept short-term losses.

After the strike began, President Yoon’s approval rating increased. According to a public opinion poll released on the 8th, the approval rating rose by more than 9 percentage points to 41.5%.

A senior pollster said that older Conservatives, who were anti-union, backed Yoon’s hard line.

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