On the 14th, Both Delivery and Medical Services OFF

Logistics Association Designates Holiday for the First Time Ever
Medical Association Announces One-Day General Strike

On the 9th of last month, a participant is holding a placard at the "Press Conference Urging the Designation of a Day Without Parcel Delivery" held at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Yoo Byung-don and Lee Jung-yoon] Yoon Mo (57), a security guard working at an apartment complex in Seoul, was startled while sorting recyclable waste. The 'delivery boxes' that used to pile up like mountains every day had disappeared that day. Come to think of it, the delivery vehicles that frequently entered the complex causing parking issues also did not come that day.

This scene is likely to be witnessed in residential areas nationwide two days later, on the 14th. The delivery industry will officially take a summer holiday that day, halting delivery operations across the country. Coincidentally, the 14th is also the day the medical community has announced a collective strike. The 'pause' of deliveries and hospitals that have been taking care of our health everywhere around us will serve as an opportunity to reflect on how precious these services are in our daily lives.

According to the delivery industry on the 12th, the 14th will be the first-ever designated 'No Delivery Day.' This decision was made by the Korea Integrated Logistics Association, which delivery companies belong to, in response to the labor union's demand for urgent rest for delivery workers due to the surge in delivery volumes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the National Delivery Solidarity Labor Union of the Service Federation of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, delivery volumes have nearly doubled compared to previous years due to the increase in non-face-to-face (untact) transactions this year. The prolonged COVID-19 situation has increasingly intensified the workload of delivery workers. With the designation of No Delivery Day, about 50,000 delivery workers, accounting for approximately 95% of those affiliated with the five major delivery companies in Korea, will officially take a day off on the 14th.

Delivery workers receiving their first official holiday feel a heavy heart. Delivery workers are 'special employment workers' not directly employed by companies and are mostly self-employed individuals who deliver using their own vehicles. Because of this, delivery volumes will be delayed during the day off, and they may face increased workloads handling the accumulated deliveries after the holiday, potentially causing strain.

A representative of the Delivery Labor Union said, "It is significant as the first official holiday given to delivery workers who have to work long hours exceeding 12 hours a day," but also added, "There is a need to prepare various measures to regularize 'No Delivery Day'." However, concerns have been raised that delivery workers affiliated with some companies not belonging to the Korea Integrated Logistics Association and public institution postal workers will not be able to rest, which may increase delivery volumes further.

Doctors will also put down their stethoscopes on the 14th. The Korean Medical Association has announced a general strike that day, demanding the withdrawal of the medical school quota expansion. This is the third collective strike following opposition to the 2000 separation of prescribing and dispensing and the 2014 telemedicine. Since private practitioners make up a large proportion, medical gaps are inevitable, especially in local clinics. Additionally, residents and fellows who went on strike on the 7th of this month have announced their participation in this collective strike, so disruptions in medical services at large hospitals are also expected.