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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] South Korea’s construction industry has called for the immediate withdrawal of a transport strike by ready-mix concrete drivers in the Seoul metropolitan area, warning of prolonged disruptions to major construction sites.
The Korea Construction Association held an emergency meeting on June 12 with representatives from 13 major builders to assess damage and discuss 대응책.
As of June 11, concrete supply had been halted at 105 sites operated by 22 major construction firms, delaying the pouring of approximately 100,000 cubic meters of concrete, according to the association.
The disruption follows a breakdown in negotiations between ready-mix producers and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Ready-Mix Transport Union. Although the two sides reached a tentative agreement on transport fee increases on June 10, the proposal was rejected in a union vote, extending the supply halt to more than five days since June 8.
Industry officials warn that if the situation continues into next week, some projects may face full shutdowns. Key national industrial sites, including Samsung Electronics’ Pyeongtaek campus and SK hynix’ Yongin semiconductor cluster, have already been affected.
Participants at the meeting urged the union to immediately withdraw what they described as an unjustified collective refusal to transport materials. They also called on the government to help stabilize supply and resume negotiations between producers and transport operators.
The industry further requested that project delays caused by the strike be recognized as force majeure to exempt builders from delay penalties. Additional proposals included shortening the review period for supply-demand controls on mixer trucks and easing regulations for installing on-site batching plants at major projects and urban construction sites.
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
