The government has warned that it could apply return-to-work orders to truckers in the refined oil, steel and container industries as the strike by unionized truckers entered its ninth day on Friday.

Interior and safety minister Lee Sang-min issued the warning in a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters, saying the government will immediately take such a step if the disruption in logistics deals blows to other industrial sectors.

The minister said that entire industries are facing increasing damages due to the disruptions in logistics and exports, citing losses of one-point-six trillion won for the cement, refined oil and steel industries this past week.

He added that shipments of cement jumped around four-fold after the government issued a return-to-work order for striking cement truckers earlier on Tuesday but that such shipments still fall below 50 percent of deliveries in ordinary times.

Earlier on Thursday, deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung again called on striking truckers to promptly return to work so that the government is not forced to issue any additional back-to-work orders, noting that the number of gas stations without stock across the nation increased to 49.