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Cargo union, BGF Logis sign collective agreement after 10 days of conflict

Published: 30 Apr. 2026, 17:31

Protesting truckers from the labor union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions clash with police officers in front of BGF Logis's warehouse in South Gyeongsang on April 20. [YONHAP]

Unionized cargo workers and convenience store chain CU's logistics affiliate signed a collective agreement Thursday, ending a 10-day blockade of the chain's key logistics centers.

Cargo Truckers Solidarity, an affiliate of the umbrella Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and BGF Logis sealed the agreement, raising freight rates and improving working conditions in a signing ceremony at the labor ministry's branch office in Jinju, South Gyeongsang.

The conflict had escalated following a fatal accident on April 20, when a union member was killed by a nonunion truck in front of the CU logistics center in Jinju.

The signing ceremony was originally scheduled to take place the previous day but was postponed by one day as both parties failed to agree on measures to restore the honor of the deceased union member.

The Cargo Truckers Solidarity views management's recognition of their bargaining autonomy and union status, previously denied, as the agreement's greatest achievement. The two sides agreed to guarantee the basic labor rights of cargo workers by regularizing collective bargaining and withdrawing disadvantages resulting from strikes.

Such an agreement followed the recent enactment of the so-called Yellow Envelope law, which made prime contractors more accountable for subcontracted workers while restricting businesses from claiming damages from striking workers.

Higher-level logistics firms previously avoided direct talks with truck owners due to a multilayered outsourcing structure.

Both parties also agreed to increase transportation fees by 7 percent and to guarantee paid leave once a quarter for truck drivers.

Yonhap