'We are not your enemy', say South Korean truckers striking for minimum wage protections - Reuters

UIWANG, South Korea, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Inside 5 achromatic tents extracurricular the Uiwang instrumentality depot adjacent Seoul, astir 200 striking truckers huddle astir state heaters, trying to combat the bitter acold and the authorities communicative that they are good paid "labour aristocracy."

They are each excessively alert of the interaction their onslaught has had connected South Koreans astatine a clip of grounds inflation. But these drivers, and tens of thousands of others striking crossed the country, accidental their calls for stronger minimum wage protections are each that basal betwixt them and poverty.

"We are not the enemy. We are loyal to our country, due to the fact that we are contributing to exports," said Kim Young-chan, a 63-year-old instrumentality motortruck operator transporting exports specified arsenic location appliances and cosmetics betwixt Uiwang and Busan port. "Our wealth is stretched to devour and unrecorded for a month. Labour aristocracy? That is nonsense."

Amid soaring substance costs, arsenic galore arsenic 25,000 truckers are calling connected the authorities for a imperishable minimum-pay strategy known arsenic the "Safe Freight Rate", which was introduced temporarily successful 2020 for a tiny information of the much than 400,000 truckers.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has said his medication would not springiness successful to what it calls "unjustified demands" by the truckers national arsenic the 2nd large onslaught successful little than six months disrupts supplies of cars, cement and fuel. The interior curate and a ruling enactment spokesperson person some called the truckers "labour aristocracy".

Pale and unshaven, the drivers task retired of their tents a mates of times a time to chant slogans and manus retired leaflets.

Kim said precocious diesel prices mean their lives are nary amended than successful June, erstwhile they went connected an eight-day strike. He earns astir 3 cardinal won ($2,300) per month, acold little than past twelvemonth due to the fact that diesel prices person astir doubled.

The country's consumer prices besides jumped 5% successful November compared with a twelvemonth earlier.

Kim said it broke his bosom that his wife, who is past status age, indispensable enactment to enactment the family, mopping floors and cooking for pay.

"Maybe our beingness tin beryllium amended if freight rates are stable," helium said.

The authorities and the national person sat down for talks doubly but stay acold isolated connected 2 cardinal issues: extending the minimum wage rules beyond the extremity of this twelvemonth and expanding them to payment much truckers.

The authorities has specifically said it volition not grow minimum wage extortion to truckers successful the substance and alloy industries, saying they are already good paid.

Concerns are mounting implicit shortages of petrol and pricier groceries causing economical pain.

Lee Ji-eun, 36, a doc and parent of two, said she hurried to substance up her car connected Thursday implicit shortage fears.

"I privation the authorities and the truckers to scope a woody arsenic soon arsenic possible. Strikes similar this oregon by subway workers oregon nationalist officials - that harm is done consecutive to mean radical similar me," Lee said.

Early successful the strike, adjacent a large lipid retention installation that supplies petrol stations successful Seoul, a twelve striking tanker drivers had positioned their trucks to hamper traffic. On Thursday, they stopped aft residents complained.

"I cognize radical are getting acold astir this strike, and they are like, 'Why again?'" said Ham Sang-jun, 49, a operator transporting lipid from apical refiner S-Oil Corp (010950.KS) to petrol stations.

As of mid-Friday, 60 petrol stations had tally dry, the manufacture ministry said. Stations nationwide had an mean of astir a week's supply, arsenic they had secured banal earlier the strike. work much

Along with Ham, astir 90% retired the 340 tanker drivers contracted to proviso S-Oil's products person walked disconnected the job, according to Lee Geum-sang, their national leader.

Their families interest they suffer their jobs.

Ham, the begetter of 2 teens, earns astir 3 cardinal to 4 cardinal won a period moving 12 hours a day, 5 days a week, often overnight and weekends. That is 2 cardinal won little than past twelvemonth due to the fact that of substance costs.

"I americium atrocious to my woman and children, due to the fact that I americium not a bully father," helium said. "But we person to support up the onslaught for a amended aboriginal 10 years ahead."

Reporting by Ju-min Park and Minwoo Park; Editing by Jack Kim and Gerry Doyle

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