멈춰버린 레미콘 믹서트럭, 대한민국 경제의 혈관을 위협하다 > K-wave Trends

The immediate cause of this strike was the significant difference in views between labor and management regarding the extent of the increase in transportation prices. The union demanded an increase of 8,000 won per unit due to rising prices and the burden of vehicle maintenance costs, but the manufacturer fought back, suggesting a level of 2,500 won, citing the construction recession and cost burden. In the end, the situation seemed to be settled by agreeing to an increase of 4,200 won (approximately 5.5%) through mediation by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but the union members on site did not accept this. As the result of the vote was 30.6% in favor and 68.3% against, internal dissatisfaction and demands for higher compensation erupted beyond simple unit price negotiations. In particular, the feeling of deprivation that the metropolitan area is receiving insufficient treatment compared to the level of increases in other regions, such as Daejeon, is analyzed as the decisive cause of this rejection.

The essential issue of this situation goes beyond the economic issue of transportation costs, and is expanding into a conflict over the legal status and collective bargaining rights of ready-mix concrete transport drivers. Last February, the Seoul Administrative Court partially recognized the status of transportation drivers as employees under the Labor Union Act, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor issued a national union establishment certificate, further strengthening the union's bargaining power compared to the past. The union goes beyond simply raising transportation costs and is strongly demanding the implementation of collective bargaining to ensure job security and improve unreasonable practices. On the other hand, manufacturers still define drivers as special workers who are self-employed, and are concerned that the union's demand for collective bargaining will lead to direct negotiation pressure on primary construction companies in the future, increasing the burden on the public, such as rising sales prices.

Because ready-mix concrete is a time-sensitive material that must be placed within 90 minutes of production, any disruption in transportation means an immediate shutdown of the construction site. As the strike prolongs, the construction industry is trying hard to fill the supply gap by deploying directly managed vehicles or mobilizing alternative transportation methods, but even this is not easy as the labor union is taking strong measures, such as blocking the entrance to the site. In particular, large-scale projects such as semiconductor factories have tightly woven processes, so a one-day delay can lead to billions of won in losses or a domino collapse in subsequent processes. Related organizations, including the Construction Association of Korea, have begun to come up with self-rescue measures by suggesting to the government that requirements for on-site batch plant installation be relaxed, but this is becoming another spark of conflict that is causing a decline in sales for existing ready-mix concrete manufacturers and a strong backlash from engineers.

Behind the conflict lies the structural background of the construction equipment supply and demand control system that has been in effect since 2009. As the increase in mixer trucks has been restricted over the past 17 years, transportation drivers have gained strong bargaining power due to supply shortages, and based on this, the threat of strikes that are repeated every year has become a chronic factor of instability in the construction industry. The manufacturer's claim that the price of ready-mixed concrete has only increased by 62.6% over the past 15 years, but transportation costs have soared 142.4%, suggests that the current negotiation structure is a 'tilted playing field' that is very unfavorable to manufacturers. Even though manufacturers are paying for fuel costs, they are under pressure to increase transportation prices, and the labor union is showing no signs of backing down, calling for guaranteed survival rights. Ultimately, amidst these complex interests, a vicious cycle continues in which the damage is passed on to construction sites and end consumers.