Korea Construction Management Association urges resolution of ready-mix concrete transport strike

The Korea Construction Management Association urged a swift resolution to the collective strike by the ready-mix concrete transport union Friday, calling on the government to take active steps — including easing regulations on batch plant installation at large construction sites — to limit the damage.

The association issued a statement Friday saying it was concerned about the impact the strike by the National Ready-Mix Concrete Transport Workers' Union, affiliated with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, would have on construction sites and the broader national economy.

The full-scale strike, which began June 8, has made disruptions inevitable not only to social infrastructure projects such as housing, roads, railways and ports, but also to national strategic projects in the semiconductor and advanced industries.

The association said halting the supply of ready-mix concrete — a critical construction material — would, given the nature of construction work, trigger a chain of consequences beyond simple schedule delays, including quality deterioration, rising construction costs and financial difficulties for subcontractors.

The association said both sides must engage in sufficient dialogue and mutual compromise to reach a reasonable solution on issues including transport rates, and urged all parties to approach negotiations responsibly so that the industrial ecosystem and public life are not harmed.

The association also called on the government to act. It said the government should step in actively to help restart negotiations as soon as possible and develop measures to stabilize the ready-mix concrete supply and minimize damage at construction sites.

It said regulations on the installation of batch plants at large construction sites should be temporarily eased to allow sites to secure their own supply. The association added that systemic improvements — such as lifting or relaxing supply controls on ready-mix concrete mixer trucks — were also needed.

"We will cooperate on all fronts to ensure that construction site safety and timely investment in the nation's advanced industries proceed without disruption," an association official said. "We urge all parties to come to the negotiating table with a sense of responsibility so that the industrial ecosystem and public life suffer no harm."

Meanwhile, six major business groups — the Korea Enterprises Federation, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Korea Employers Federation, the Korea International Trade Association, the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business, and the Korea Middle Market Enterprise Federation — issued a joint statement Thursday expressing deep concern over the transport union's collective refusal to work.