SEOUL– Negotiations between the government and striking truckers fell through on Wednesday, in the second unsuccessful attempt to reach a compromise over the prolonged nationwide strike by the unionized truckers.
The two sides resumed the negotiations earlier in the day, but the talks lasted for only 40 minutes before they walked out of the meeting, officials said.
The government and the truckers held their first negotiations Monday but failed to narrow differences.
Thousands of truckers launched the strike on Thursday, demanding the government extend temporary rules guaranteeing minimum freight rates set to expire at the end of this year.
The strike is the second of its kind in five months. The government invoked a return-to-work order on cement truckers on Tuesday, the first time in 18 years such an executive order has been formulated.
Land Minister Won Hee-ryong upped the pressure on striking truckers by warning that the government would review the complete abolition of the minimum wage scheme in case they do not return to work.
“Price is a key factor in market operations, and it cannot be fixed by a specific player among various stakeholders,” Won told reporters after the meeting.
He also raised the possibility of excluding them from subsidies linked to diesel prices, as well as issuing a separate back-to-work order for those in the oil refinery sector, which has also been hit hard by the strike.
Asked about additional talks with the union, the minister responded negatively, arguing that the union has been carrying out illegal acts without showing commitment to seeking solutions.
On Tuesday, President Yoon Suk-yeol said his government will take all possible measures to deal with the collective action.
Source: Yonhap News Agency