SEOUL, June 16 (UPI) -- South Korean officials Monday sought to end the disruption at container ports resulting from last week's truckers' strike in protest of soaring fuel costs.
As the nationwide walkout entered its fourth day, talks were scheduled for late Monday to look for ways to end the truckers' action at container terminals, whose normal operations are critical for the functioning of country's economy.
The truckers have threatened to blockade the Busan port if there is no progress in negotiations with transport companies, Yonhap news agency reported.
Busan, on the southeastern coast of the country, is one of the worst-hit by the strike, with an already heavy backup of undelivered and unloaded containers, the report said.
"The government should stop right now relying only on the useless 'risk management manual.' It needs to realize the crisis it is facing, while the shipping companies and their owners must initiate in resolving the conflict," Yonhap quoted one port official as saying.
The demands by the Korea Cargo Workers Union, which claims a membership of more than 13,000, include higher government subsidies and higher wages to offset rising fuel costs, the report said.
The cargo truckers represent no more than 4 percent of all commercial vehicle drivers in the country, the report said.
