Members of the National Ready-Mix Concrete Transport Workers' Union rally in front of the Construction Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 9, calling for the abolition of unfair trade practices as they continue their work stoppage over wage and collective bargaining demands. [Yonhap]
Members of the National Ready-Mix Concrete Transport Workers' Union rally in front of the Construction Hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on June 9, calling for the abolition of unfair trade practices as they continue their work stoppage over wage and collective bargaining demands. [Yonhap]

68.3% of union members vote against tentative deal

Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus, SK Hynix's Yongin semiconductor cluster among sites at risk

A tentative agreement to raise ready-mix concrete transport fees in the Greater Seoul area has been rejected in a union membership vote, deepening concerns about construction delays at major industrial sites including Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus and SK Hynix's Yongin semiconductor cluster.

The National Ready-Mix Concrete Transport Workers' Union said Wednesday that members voted down the proposed deal by 4,931 to 2,213 — a rejection rate of 68.3%. Of the 7,517 eligible members in the metropolitan area, 7,222 cast ballots.

The tentative agreement would have raised the base transport rate, excluding fuel costs, from the current 75,800 won (about $55) per trip to around 80,000 won — an increase of roughly 4,200 won, or 5.5%. The union had originally demanded an increase of about 8,000 won per trip, while manufacturers offered 1,500 won. The two sides reached the middle-ground figure of 4,200 won during negotiations on Monday, the second day of the strike, but the deal failed to clear the membership vote.

The union said it would resume negotiations with manufacturers following the rejection, but would continue its industrial action until a final agreement is reached. Disruption to ready-mix concrete deliveries across the Greater Seoul area is now likely to persist.

The work stoppage began at 8 a.m. Sunday, with about 8,000 metropolitan-area union members and roughly 11,000 transport vehicles taking part. Unions outside the Greater Seoul area are still in separate talks with management and did not join the stoppage.

The industry is on edge over the prospect of a prolonged halt. Ready-mix concrete must be poured within a set window after production, making it impossible to stockpile. When transport stops, production and pouring stop simultaneously. Even amid a broader construction slowdown that has dampened demand, large-scale sites in the metropolitan area face immediate schedule disruptions, industry officials said.

Particularly at risk are major industrial construction projects in the Greater Seoul area, including Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek campus and SK Hynix's Yongin semiconductor cluster. Delays in concrete pouring can cascade into steel, equipment and electrical work. "Even a one- or two-day halt immediately throws a site's schedule into disarray," one industry official said. "If the strike drags on, the burden will grow not only for general construction sites but also for semiconductor and other industrial facility projects."

The question of whether transport drivers should be recognized as employees was not substantively addressed in the current round of negotiations. Ready-mix concrete drivers have long been classified as special-type workers — self-employed contractors — but a Seoul administrative court ruled in February that they qualify as workers under the Trade Union Act. The Ministry of Employment and Labor granted the union official certification in March as a nationally organized union.

On that basis, the union has argued that management must formally recognize it and engage in collective bargaining. Manufacturers, however, say they face significant burdens over both the scale of the proposed fee increase and the terms of the bargaining process. With the tentative agreement now rejected, the two sides are back close to square one.


hong@heraldcorp.com