The government is ramping up pressure against unionized truckers on strike, but delivering individual return-to-work orders is proving to be more challenging.
The transport ministry said on Wednesday that immediately after the order was issued the previous day, individual orders were delivered to employers of 350 truckers, or 14 percent of the roughly 25-hundred impacted cement truckers participating in the strike.
Employers' reluctance to turn over their drivers’ personal information has limited the government’s ability to obtain addresses to just 20 strikers.
The process is expected to be arduous as orders must be received by individual drivers to take effect. The order takes effect three days after receipt, an expedited timeline given the urgency of the matter, the transport ministry explained.
Interior minister Lee Sang-min warned of taking appropriate legal steps should those in the industry refuse to comply without justification. Those that defy the order face the revocation of their license, up to three years in prison or a maximum fine of 30 million won.