South Korea truckers strike again, threatening supply chains

South Korean truckers staged their second major strike in less than six months Thursday, in an action that could disrupt critical global supply chains in sectors from cars to steel.

All 25,000 members of the Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union stopped working, as part of a long-running protest against the ending of a minimum wage guarantee, Park Yeon-su of the organisation told AFP.

With fuel prices rising, the drivers have been demanding the government make permanent the “safe freight rate” minimum pay scheme, which is set to expire at the end of the year.

The administration of Seoul’s conservative president Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday said it would extend the programme for three years, but truckers say there is no point unless the scheme becomes permanent.

“The government earlier this year said they will prioritise this issue, but that certainly didn’t happen,” Park told AFP.