MINISTERS VISIT SHIPYARD STRIKE SITE

[Anchor Lead]

Cabinet ministers and even the nominee for police chief visited the site of a shipyard strike by unionized workers of a subcontractor of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company, but little was achieved. On Wednesday, a massive rally was held involving workers who support the strike and management officials who are urging an end to the collective action.

[Pkg]

Seven unionized workers of a subcontractor of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering seized a ship at one of the firm's key docks for a sit-down. Labor minister Lee Jung-sik entered the vessel which is under construction to meet with the demonstrators. He urged them to call off the strike but to no avail. Lee also met with a labor union leader and other workers taking part in the strike high up in the air, some 15 meters above ground.

[Soundbite] Lee Jung-sik(Minister of Employment & Labor) : "If the walkout ends, the gov't will support efforts to seek a resolution."

Interior and safety minister Lee Sang-min who also visited the site hinted at possibly using force to break up the prolonged walkout.

[Soundbite] Lee Sang-min(Minister of Interior & Safety) : "The option of exercising state power is being carefully considered as unexpected issues and sacrifice can arise."

Labor-management negotiations continuing for the second day produced little progress. Unionized workers made concessions from their earlier demand of restoring reduced wages of the past 5 years, collective bargaining rights and recognition of previous union leaders. But the two sides failed to narrow their gaping differences.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyeong-soo(Local branch head, Korean Metal Workers Union) : "We are working at half the wage of full-time employees. This is not a wage hike. We are asking to return to the time of the shipbuilding sector's restructuring days of 2016."

Meanwhile the Gyeongsangnam-do branch of the Korean Metal Workers Union also decided to launch a general strike during a Wednesday rally attended by around 3,000 union members, held at the front gate of Daewoo Shipbuilding. Around the same time inside the shipyard, some 3,000 management level officials of the subcontractor also held a counter rally, asking the union to end the walkout. Eight squadrons of police officers was deployed to the site to be prepared against a possible contingency situation.