Tensions mount as BGF Logis files injunction against trucker union

BGF Logis, the logistics affiliate of convenience store chain CU, has filed for an injunction against unionized truckers, seeking to ban what it claims is obstruction of business, according to industry sources Thursday.

The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union’s Cargo Truckers Solidarity held a press briefing Friday in front of BGF Logis’ CU logistics center in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, condemning what they called the company’s “deceptive” behavior.

“It was confirmed that BGF Logis filed an injunction against us over alleged obstruction of business,” a member of Cargo Truckers Solidarity said.

“BGF Logis, which claimed it was open to serious talks to resolve this crisis swiftly, is drawing the sword of oppression behind our backs,” the union member added.

The filing marks the latest escalation in a dispute between the company and the truckers’ union, as tensions deepen over subcontracting and bargaining rights.

The conflict intensified after a 2.5-ton truck struck participants in a cargo workers’ rally near BGF Logis’ Jinju logistics center on Monday, killing a 58-year-old union member surnamed Seo and injuring three others. Authorities believe the collision occurred as rally participants attempted to block the vehicle from leaving the site.

The Changwon District Court’s Jinju branch on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for the driver, a man in his 40s surnamed Lim, citing concerns that he might flee or destroy evidence.

The rally has also reignited debate over the “Yellow Envelope” law, reviving questions over whether BGF Logis should negotiate directly with the drivers.

Union members said the injunction revealed BGF Logis’ “true nature,” accusing the company of pretending to engage in dialogue while preparing legal action behind the scenes.

BGF Logis, however, said the injunction filing was unrelated to the death of the union member during Monday’s rally.

“The injunction was discussed internally before the accident at the Jinju CU logistics center on Monday,” a BGF Logis official said.

Union members also took issue with a BGF Logis statement issued Thursday, in which the company described Wednesday’s meeting with the union as a “discussion,” not a “negotiation.”

In the statement, the company said that holding an introductory meeting with the truckers’ union did not constitute acknowledgment of its status as an employer under labor law.

It said the meeting was intended to discuss ways to resolve disruptions quickly, as franchise owners were continuing to suffer losses, adding that it was not a formal round of bargaining and did not mean the company accepted employer status.

BGF Logis also argued that Cargo Truckers Solidarity is not a legally recognized union and is therefore not covered by the “Yellow Envelope” law.

The company further described the truckers’ action at some CU logistics centers as an illegal strike by people unrelated to the convenience store business, saying franchise owners, many of them small-business operators, were suffering significant damage and that the union was taking no responsibility for those losses.

A group of franchise owners said they have been incurring billions of won in damages daily from the ongoing strike. They sent a certification of contents letter to the union and BGF Logis to file for claims related to the damages.

The union, for its part, said negotiations had in fact taken place and accused BGF Logis of wrongly branding it as an illegal labor group.

“Even after entering negotiations, they did not withdraw the complaint and instead denied the talks by labeling us an extralegal union engaged in an illegal strike,” a union member said.

Anger at the rally was also directed at the government and law enforcement authorities.

One union member questioned the sincerity of the Labor Ministry, saying the government had created a situation in which workers felt they had no choice but to fight this way.

“The labor ministry says we are the real owners of the business, but how can it say that without improving our basic labor rights?” the union member said.

“I don’t know how someone who spent nearly 20 years in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions could say something like that,” he added, referring to Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon’s past as a KCTU leader.

Toward the end of the rally, some protesters shouted profanities at police officers stationed on the rooftops of nearby apartment buildings.

“Grieving workers are still weeping at the site after losing a colleague, but are forced to continue the struggle without time to mourn,” said a union member.

“This amounts to killing the deceased twice,” he added, calling on BGF Logis and BGF Retail to withdraw the injunction, stop misleading the public about negotiations and take responsibility by coming to the table.

seungku99@heraldcorp.com