By Byungwook and Heekyong Yan

ULSAN in South Korea (Reuters). Despite a striking trucker strike that has reverberated across the country, a huge Hyundai Motor Company factory added weekend production to its operations on Saturday. This was despite the fact that other South Korean industrial titans including steelmaker, South Korea, have been affected by the strikes. POSCO (NYSE:).

About 100 unionism truckers protested rising fuel prices, and demanded higher freight costs to make up the difference. They gathered in Ulsan on day five.

Around 800 striker union members rallied at the gates to a major petrochemical plant in Ulsan. Officials from the union said that they had reduced their vehicle numbers to one-tenth normal levels by Friday.

South Korea supplies a large amount of electronic goods, such as semiconductors, phones, batteries, automobiles and battery, to the world. The strike has increased uncertainty about global supply chains that were already being disrupted by China’s COVID-19 strictures and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Transport Ministry announced on Saturday that they would be meeting with union representatives to discuss the end of the strike. They also asked union members for their immediate return to work.

Traffic at Busan’s major seaport, where about 80% of country’s containers are handled, was reduced to one-third of its normal level on Friday according to a government official.

The Transport Ministry stated that 7,350 truckers, one third of 22,000 Cargo Truckers Solidarity workers, would be striking on Saturday. About 6% of 420,000 truckers across the country are now unionized, according to government figures.

According to the union, a greater number of truck driver strikers were reported by the organization. However, many truckers who are not members of the union have also been stated that they refuse to work.

Hyundai Motor union officials stated that the production of the Ulsan plants increased slightly Friday in some lines. Overall, the factory had a capacity of 60%. This is slightly lower than the level at 50% to 60% on Thursday.

Hyundai refused to provide details about its operation or the delivery status of completed cars.

A Hyundai spokesperson stated that there were some production disruptions due to truckers striking. He hoped production would soon return to normal.

Officials from the union said that Saturday’s factory shutdown was not planned due to worsening supply problems, but they were pushing forward and likely to satisfy growing backorders.

Hyundai employees began driving their finished cars from the factory compound and parking any that couldn’t be delivered to customers, he stated.

Union members flagged down trucks driven by nonunion truckers outside factories and ports. They asked them to stop but not to join the strike. They weren’t blocking the gates.

The strikers were not allowed to block trucks entering factory doors, according to the union. However, police officers were present.