The implementation of Safe Rates for container and bulk cement transport in Korea marks an important step towards improving fair pay, good jobs and road safety for truck drivers.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) welcomes the re-introduction of Safe Rates – a system that guarantees decent pay for all the time drivers work – as an urgently needed measure to address the dangerous cost-cutting pressures that have plagued the industry since 2022 when the system was temporarily abolished.
During that period, low-cost tendering practices rapidly returned, driving freight rates down by as much as 35% and placing immense pressure on drivers to work longer and more dangerous hours to make ends meet. However, from 1 February 2026, the system will be back in place.
“The Korean Safe Rates system protects the rights of truck drivers and the safety of road-using public”, said KPTU-TruckSol President, Dongguk Kim.
“While we welcome the implementation of safe rates for containers and cement, we can’t stop here. We now have the urgent task of enforcing these rates on the ground while also mounting a fierce struggle to make sure the system is permanent and expand its coverage. This includes working to bring Safe Rates to road transport workers globally.”
A recent survey of drivers conducted by the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers’ Union Cargo Truckers’ Solidarity Division (KPTU-TruckSol) found that in the absence of safe rates, 77% of drivers experienced an increase in working time, while 78% reported increased instances of microsleep while driving after the loss of the first Safe Rates system. The same proportion reported a rise in accident risks linked to long hours, night-time driving, speeding and overloading. Hundreds of lives have been lost in truck crashes during this period.
Under the newly announced Safe Rates, drivers’ net pay is expected to increase by around 11%. While this increase is significant and welcome, it still falls short of what is needed to compensate for the sharp drop in earnings and the rising cost of living since the system was abolished in 2022.
After mass protests that led to the removal of former Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, legislation was passed in July 2025 to reintroduce the Safe Rates system. While the ITF welcomed this decision as a positive step forward, it is disappointed that the law once again makes the system temporary and limits its application to just two sectors, covering less than 6% of the professional truck drivers.
The ITF urges the Korean government to work with lawmakers, unions and other industry stakeholders to make the Safe Rates system permanent and to expand its coverage to all professional truck drivers. Only then can it ensure fair pay, safe roads and decent jobs for the workers who keep its economy moving.
For the system to deliver real improvements, enforcement will be critical” said Flemming Overgaard, ITF Road Transport Section Chair.
“The ITF calls on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to take an active role in ensuring that clients and transport companies comply with the published standards – including preventing the undercutting of rates through hidden mechanisms such as increased fees or charges imposed on drivers.
“We will continue our global campaign for Safe Rates with an action week in July 2026”.
#SafeRatesSaveLives
ENDS
Notes to Editor
What are Safe Rates?
Guaranteeing Safe Rates mean drivers are paid fairly for all the time they work, allowing them to make enough money to drive safely and support their families. If drivers own their own vehicles, Safe Rates are calculated to ensure that they can cover the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and operating them. Safe Rates can be guaranteed through multi-stakeholder agreements, or legal regulatory systems which:
- Set standards for pay and conditions that are fair and equal for all drivers
- Hold all industry stakeholders accountable, including the companies at the top of road transport supply chains
- Include strong provisions on monitoring and enforcement
- Involve unions in the process of setting, monitoring, and enforcing standards.
Read more: Safe Rates Campaign | ITF Global
