22.07.2007

Tower crane strike

More than 350 members of the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions tower crane section have started an indefinite sit-in on 110 tower cranes at about 90 construction sites across the country.

Union members are demanding observance of legal working hours and reform of safety standards in addition to the honoring of a pay agreement made last year.
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An earlier sit-in/demonstration on a tower crane

The union has been taking various forms of selective action since May and five leaders have waged sit-ins on tower cranes for the past 25 days to, they say, no effect. “As a consequence, we have decided to hold a collective sit-in.” said the union.

Park Jong-mo, an official of the construction workers union, said: “We began collective bargaining to abolish the enforced agreement, which contained provisions for a 10-hour workday, and asked the companies to observe an eight-hour workday as stipulated by law, but the employers group has ‘insistently taken an unfaithful attitude’.”

“The union has been flexible in agreeing to a grace period before implementing the eight-hour workday but the management’s position hasn’t budged, stating that a 10-hour workday is a common practice at construction sites.”

“As long as the management doesn’t change its attitude, they won’t come down from the tower cranes”.

In addition, the tower crane section has urged the government to reform working safety standards such as strengthening standards for wind speed, which currently demands that tower cranes stop work once winds exceed 20 metres per second.