Labor Politics of Self-Employed Workers in the Making: Focusing the Case of Safe Rates for Owner-Drivers in South Korea

While some existing literature on the platform economy has characterized collective actions of self-employed workers as a "theoretical puzzle" for sociologists, these workers have actively developed their own labor politics, challenging the constraints of the current labor system and union movements. This study investigates (1)how the labor politics of self-employed workers differ from those of standard workers and (2)how these differences transform the relationships among labor, market, and state.

Empirical data are drawn from an extensive field study of owner-drivers and their association, the Cargo Truckers' Solidarity Divisions (TruckSol), in South Korea. Conducted through multi-method qualitative research between 2022 and 2024, this study explores why and how owner-drivers successfully introduced but ultimately failed to sustain Safe Rates—minimum wage standards within the road transportation industry.

The precarious position of owner-drivers as the self-employed has imposed constraints but also created opportunities. The lack of traditional employment relationships suitable for collective bargaining compelled these workers to seek alternative avenues to voice their demands. Consequently, TruckSol shifted its focus from elusive employers to the state, which plays a central role in the (re)construction of the industrial relations system.

In this redefined arena of struggle and negotiation, TruckSol's rationales and strategies evolved. The organization leveraged economic pressure to prompt the state to manage and stabilize industrial conflicts (the logic of industrial conflict), while simultaneously employing a dual approach of resistance (the logic of market failure) and incorporation (the logic of public safety) to legitimize their demands. These efforts culminated in the legislation of Safe Rates in 2018. However, TruckSol struggled to extend the law's effective period, a challenge attributed to the inherent instability and vulnerability of the three guiding logics. This study calls for scholarly attention to various paths to represent the broader working class rather than limiting the focus on collective bargaining alone.