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STORY: South Korea ordered about 2,500 striking truckers in the cement industry to return to work on Tuesday.

It marked the first start-work order to be issued in the country as construction sites run out of building materials nationwide.

The Cargo Truckers Solidarity Union said: “the start-work order is equivalent to martial law for cargo workers. No, it's an order to die.”

Workers who defy the order could faces fines or jail time.

The union held 16 rallies nationwide on Tuesday, including a head shaving protest.

Leader Lee Bong-ju told hundreds of strikers that they will defy the order and take legal action with the help of attorneys.

It’s the second strike in six months over pay, causing daily losses of an estimated $224 million.

Thousands of other truckers, besides those in the cement industry, have also stopped work.

It comes as Asia's fourth-largest economy is expecting growth to slump next year.

As the strike enters its sixth day, the government says concrete-laying has halted at 508 building sites, or about half of all such sites.

A lobby group said the cement industry estimated a cumulative output loss of close to $50 million as of Monday (November 28).