Kang Myung-gil parked his truck last week and stopped hauling products from South Korean companies, joining a strike that has hit industrial hubs and ports. At stake is his family's livelihood, as soaring costs make it impossible for him to go on
A truck driver Kang Myung-gil poses for a photograph during an interview with Reuters in Incheon, South Korea, June 10, 2022. Picture taken June 10, 2022. REUTERS/Ju-min ParkINCHEON, South Korea, June 13 - Kang Myung-gil parked his truck last week and stopped hauling products from a unit of Samsung Electronics
Kang, 50, said in an interview he had no choice but to join the strike even though he was not a member of the union."When the other side of the world is getting better, why is our side of the world going backward and getting worse?" he asked. Working as many as 15 hours a day, father-of-three Kang says he earns about $2,300 a month. Since April, his monthly fuel bill has leapt about $1,000.
The union says the measure is crucial to ensure truckers work in sustainable conditions. Being independent contractors, they say it guards against fuel price fluctuations and exploitation by powerful businesses. In 2019, he was paid 280,000 won for a 240 km round trip between Incheon and a Samsung display panel plant in Asan, although other truckers hired by higher-tier subcontractors were paid 320,000 won for the same trip.