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[Herald Economy = Reporter Jung Mok-hee] The union launched an all-out campaign after a Cargo Solidarity member died at the CU logistics center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province.
On April 21, the Cargo Solidarity division of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union held a “Resolution Rally Urging an Investigation into the Deceased Member and Punishment for Those Responsible” in front of the CU Jinju Logistics Center in Jeongchon-myeon, Jinju, and escalated its campaign to the highest level.
About 2,700 people — the union’s estimate — gathered, including members from across the country. Participants laid flowers at a temporary altar at the scene to mourn the fallen member and demanded an official apology from the primary contractor, BGF Retail, along with sincere negotiations.
The Cargo Solidarity described the incident as a man-made disaster caused by heavy-handed police suppression and the employer’s refusal to negotiate, and vowed to keep fighting until its demands are met. Protesters condemned the company and the police, chanting slogans such as “Bring our comrade back to life” and “Smash CU’s capital.”
Protesters briefly confronted police who had set up barricades while trying to enter the logistics center, but no major clashes occurred.
A union official said, “The company treated a modest request — to share one meal with family on a day off — with repression, and the police responded with a roundup-style crackdown. We will not stop fighting until the national police chief resigns for missing the golden window that cost our comrade his life.”
The official added, “Even with the ‘Yellow Envelope’ law, companies paid it no heed and state power still acted as a wall. The 250,000-member Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union will press BGF Retail and the government to be held fully accountable.”
Lawmakers also visited the site.
Before the rally, Kim Joo-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker and ranking member of the National Assembly’s Committee on Climate, Energy, Environment and Labor, visited the protest to console the family and union officials.
After hearing their accounts, Kim pledged to mediate and to push for government-level measures to resolve the situation.
The police deployed hundreds of officers, including riot units, around the center to prepare for any contingency, but no significant physical clashes occurred.
However, tensions are expected to rise after the union released CCTV footage of the incident and raised questions about police responsibility.
The deceased member’s wake is being held at a funeral home in the Sacheon area; the funeral date has not yet been set.
Earlier, at about 10:32 a.m. the previous day, a truck driven by a non-union driver struck union members at a rally in front of the logistics center, killing one person and leaving two others with serious to critical injuries.
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