TRUCK DRIVERS' STRIKE CONTINUES

[Anchor Lead]

The unionized truck drivers' general strike to demand that the safe trucking freight rate system be maintained has entered a seventh day. The government and the labor union held negotiations the entire weekend, but failed to bridge their differences.

[Pkg]

The government and the truck drivers' labor union held negotiations throughout the weekend. The talks lasted late into the night but no compromise was reached. The truckers are blaming the government for failing to present a solution and maintaining its existing stance. The transport ministry has declined to comment on what had been discussed, but says it's willing to continue negotiations. The prolonged strike is causing logistics disruptions nationwide. Container throughput at Busan Port has dwindled sharply over three days, plunging to below 20 percent of the previous month. As product shipment remains stalled, damage is piling up across industries, including the cement, steel, automotive and petrochemical sectors. POSCO, where land shipment was ground to a halt on the very first day of the strike, is partially suspending production at POSCO Steel from Monday.

[Soundbite] Lee Young-seop(POSCO) : "More than 200,000 tons are paralyzed at our factory right now. Our inventories are almost full to capacity. Some products are being stored outside because there is not enough space in the warehouse."

Business groups have issued a joint statement urging the unionized truckers to return to work. They even say the government should proactively consider issuing the order to commence business if the situation remains unresolved. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions says the government's response to the strike in the form of protesters' detentions is in violation of the ILO agreement. It has sent a letter to the ILO urging it to intervene.