Tower Crane Union ‘A League of Their Own’ Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport “In the last 3 years, 438 people, 24.3 billion people, a total of 220 million won”
In April of last year, at an apartment construction site office in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, union officials forced to hire union members occupied the site and started a riot. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport emphasized that the union’s unreasonable demands, such as the tower crane union’s monthly wages and the construction union’s demand for union development funds, are causing great damage to the national economy. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Mr. Kim (70), the CEO of a reinforced concrete company in charge of framing a 1,500-unit apartment building (16 buildings) in Gyeonggi, is awake at night ahead of the final roof construction. This is because the progress of the construction was noticeably slowed after the tower crane operators were recently notified of the suspension of monthly payments. A total of 8 tower cranes are working on this site, which started construction in 2021. For a year and three months after he was in charge of the frame work, the monthly wages paid separately from the salaries to eight workers from the tower crane union amounted to a total of 1.024 billion won. He said, “Right now, the union is working to keep an eye on the government,” but “it’s a tight situation to meet the deadline, but I’m nervous because I don’t know when the drivers will strike.”
The government pulled out a knife to cut off illegal activities at construction sites. From March, if a tower crane driver requests so-called ‘monthly fee’ in addition to his salary, his license will be suspended for up to one year. Plans to revoke business registration or licenses for illegal activities such as site occupation are also being pursued. This is because one tower crane operator receives a monthly salary of up to 220 million won, which is a serious problem with labor unions at construction sites.
Relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and the National Police Agency announced the ‘measures to eradicate illegal acts at construction sites’ at a cabinet meeting presided over by the President on the 21st. President Yoon Seok-yeol said on the same day, “Strong labor unions with vested interests are still openly committing illegal acts such as demanding money and valuables, forcing employment, and obstructing construction at construction sites.”
According to the results of the fact-finding survey by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a total of 438 tower crane operators took away 24.3 billion won in monthly wages. In particular, it was analyzed that the top 20% (88 people) received more than 95 million won on average. Mainly, since 2020, only cases with evidence such as account statements were investigated, and the actual amount received is expected to be much higher.
“Less than 10 union members occupy 1,000 construction sites… I have to pay my monthly salary to work”
〈Bottom〉 Countermeasures against the ‘construction site lawless zone’
If the tower crane stops, construction cannot proceed.
Businesses pay by crying and eating mustard
Pointing out that “the responsibility for managing the original building needs to be strengthened”
Mr. A, CEO of a rebar and concrete construction company celebrating his 13th year this year. He paid about 5 million won per person in the name of monthly salary to tower crane operators, spending about 250 million won last year alone. At the construction site of a knowledge industry center in Guri City, Gyeonggi Province, which was awarded in March last year, the burden increased as monthly expenses were requested to be 6 million won per person. In January of this year, he announced the suspension of monthly payments. Then, the 10-minute tower crane operation time was extended to 20 minutes. He complained, “The construction was paralyzed due to the slowdown,” and “Even though it is an engineer that lowers the efficiency of the site, it is not even replaced due to the pressure from the union, and it is being abused as it is.”
The government came up with a plan to eradicate illegal activities at construction sites on the 21st because it judged that it could no longer tolerate the customary monthly wages, slowdown, coercion in hiring, and demands for money. It is said that illegal acts go beyond the damage to the construction industry and lead to public damage such as ‘increase in selling price’ and ‘delay in moving in’, so they will cut it off.
● If the tower crane stops, the construction stops… Vulnerable to ‘gap’
The monthly fee for tower cranes is money other than the salary that construction companies hand over to tower crane operators saying, ‘Please proceed with the work well.’ One driver is given a monthly salary of 5 million won to as much as 20 million won.
The reason why the monthly fee has become a common practice is because tower cranes have a great impact on construction. Tower cranes play a role in lifting materials to the upper floors whenever a building goes up, so if the tower crane stops, the construction will inevitably be stopped.
The construction industry believes that the construction union abused the characteristics of tower cranes to take control of the site and demanded a ‘monthly fee’. Subcontractors in charge of frame work and electrical equipment had no choice but to pay back money by ‘crying and eating mustard’ in order to meet the construction period promised to the original contractor (construction company). A representative of a reinforced concrete company in the metropolitan area said, “In the construction of 1,000 apartments, less than 10 tower crane engineers dominate the site.” Another industry insider said, “The drivers do not openly talk about it and slow down, which means that they are asking for a monthly fee.”
As the awareness that ‘construction cannot be done without a monthly fee’ spreads, unfair behavior has become a practice. On the 16th of this month, the civil settlement divisions 1-3 of the Gwangju High Court (Presiding Judge Park Jeong-hoon) ruled against the plaintiff in an appeal against 16 tower crane operators of a reinforced concrete company D located in Damyang-gun, South Jeolla Province for the return of unjust enrichment. Company D filed a lawsuit demanding that the drivers pay 3 million won a month in the name of monthly wages, etc., to return a total of 654 million won of unjust gains. The 2nd trial court said, “Paying monthly wages has been a practice that has been going on for decades, and has become in effect a wage in return for work. (Company D) reflected the monthly fee in the estimated amount in the construction specifications when bidding for the construction, and it seems to have been agreed with the prime contractor and the engineers, and there is no evidence to say that the payment was forcibly paid.”
The construction industry protests, saying it is a “judgment that is far from reality.” A representative of a reinforced concrete company said, “If a union engineer gets caught, we have no choice but to pay a monthly fee.” said.
The labor world argues that the monthly salary is a kind of bonus, but the government believes that it should be paid according to a legitimate contract, not a monthly fee. Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong said, “This ruling means that the existing monthly wages were paid through a tacit agreement, not that the monthly wages themselves are wages and should be paid.” If there is no writing, there will be no controversy.”
● “Construction companies should strengthen their responsibilities and ensure smooth supply of new personnel.”
Some point out that the responsibility of the original government building should also increase. At a meeting with construction companies on the 19th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, “Please refrain from forcing subcontractors to comply with the construction schedule and urging construction unions to accept unreasonable demands.” ” he said.
In order to eradicate the practice of paying monthly wages, there are opinions that the supply and demand of new workers must be smooth. Labor Attorney Park Sil-ro said, “The reason why the monthly salary of 10 million won is possible is because the union is blocking new drivers.
monthly fee
Additional expenses paid in addition to wages by construction companies to ask tower crane operators to carry out their work smoothly.
Reporter Dongsoo Choi firefly@donga.com
Reporter Lee Buk-bok bless@donga.com
Reporter Jeon Joo-young aimhigh@donga.com
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