The general strike by the tower crane labor union at construction sites nationwide will end after four days as labor and management reached an agreement.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 31st, the tower crane labor and management reached a collective bargaining agreement at about 3 a.m. after talks that continued into the early morning. As a result, the general strike that began on the 27th also moved toward an end.
Earlier, the two major umbrella groups' tower crane unions launched a strike at construction sites nationwide, demanding a 15% increase in wage aggregates and a guarantee of a 40-hour workweek. Along with this, the unions have also called for institutional improvements such as expanding the direct payment system by project owners and making the standard market unit price for tower cranes and the standard cost estimates more realistic.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport welcomed the labor-management agreement and said it would pursue follow-up measures to strengthen safety at construction sites and develop the industry.
The government will review improvements to the standard market unit price and standard cost estimates to calculate appropriate rental fees, and will examine measures to prevent wage and equipment fee arrears through the direct payment system by project owners. It also decided to push for improvements to the bracing (fixing device) installation method, stronger safety management for tower cranes, and better inspection standards and fee structures for aging equipment.