노동자들이 청와대로 가는 이유 [세상읽기]

The number of days protesters gather at Gyeonggijeon, Seoul, continues to rise. Protesters face the challenge of deciding whom to address while already dealing with their existing problems. The "Citizen Support Plan for Citizens Committee for High Public Enemy Taxi Drivers" (Support Plan Committee) held a meeting to solicit attendance, but deep reflection prevented them from moving forward.

The meeting, held in Seoul's Jung-gu, was interrupted by high-spirited demonstrations from human rights and gig workers. Attendees, gathered on the 20-meter tall transmission tower, have been protesting for 157 days, demanding fair wages for taxi drivers. Despite their high-altitude location, their goal remains unfulfilled. The Support Plan Committee reached out to smaller organizations, but the issue persists as companies continue to charge drivers for taxi fees and pay the difference from wages.

Companies argue they cannot verify drivers' work hours, while the government and National Assembly have been resisting change. The "Taxis Transportation Business Act," which aims to implement full salary payments for taxi drivers, was supposed to start in August of this year but was delayed to 2028. The protesters question why this delay occurred, as taxi drivers have been demanding wage reforms since the late 1980s.

This historical struggle transcends the current legal proposal, questioning why the government and opposition parties delay addressing workers' demands. The story presents the perspectives of the high-altitude protester, as well as workers from the Public Transport Union Taxi Branch, reflecting on the need for more focused efforts to communicate the struggles of marginalized workers.