Courier Union Refuses Sorting Work from the 21st... Will There Be a Chuseok Delivery Crisis? (Comprehensive)

On the 17th, a press conference titled "Full Refusal of Parcel Workers' Sorting Work and Announcement of the Position of the Countermeasures Committee for Parcel Workers' Death from Overwork" was held at the National Democratic Labor Union Federation conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong, Jeongyun Lee] Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, more than 4,000 delivery workers nationwide are launching a strike refusing to sort packages due to excessive workload.

The Delivery Workers Overwork Death Countermeasure Committee held a press conference on the morning of the 17th at the main conference room of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in Jeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, announcing that they will completely refuse package sorting work starting from the 21st. Earlier, from the 14th to the 16th, the committee conducted a general vote among delivery workers to refuse sorting work entirely, with 4,399 participants including members of the KCTU Delivery Solidarity Union, and 95.5% voted in favor. The committee expects that most of the voters will participate in the strike.

The committee stated, "We understand that refusing sorting work will cause significant disruptions to Chuseok delivery services, but we ask for understanding that no more delivery workers should collapse from overwork," adding, "We refuse sorting work to work without dying, not only today but also tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."

They continued, "Sorting work is the core reason why delivery workers have to start work at dawn and deliver until late at night, involving long working hours, and despite spending half of their 13 to 16-hour workday on sorting, they receive no pay for it," adding, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also announced protective measures for delivery workers, recommending temporary manpower reinforcement for sorting work, and the President has instructed the deployment of temporary workers."

At the press conference, Kim Jaeha, the emergency committee chair of the KCTU, said, "Logistics companies do not want to go bankrupt but are unwilling to give up a portion of the profits they should take," and added, "We will support the workers fighting to create a world without overwork deaths, where production and labor are meaningful."

The committee criticized delivery and logistics companies for not presenting any measures regarding the sorting work issue. The committee emphasized, "Delivery companies remain silent," and "While the whole society is concerned about delivery workers' overwork deaths and demands the deployment of sorting manpower, delivery companies are turning a blind eye and ear and are holding out."

On the 17th, a press conference titled "Full Refusal of Parcel Workers' Sorting Work and Announcement of the Parcel Workers' Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee's Position" was held at the National Democratic Labor Union Federation conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Jin Kyungho, an executive committee member of the countermeasure committee, said, "We asked for realistic measures, but unfortunately, so far, the conglomerate delivery companies and the Korea Post have no measures," adding, "We have no choice but to start the struggle according to the given schedule and plan."

Park Seokun, co-representative of the committee, also said, "The President ordered the preparation of countermeasures, but the conglomerate delivery companies have not presented any measures, and even the Korea Post is not stepping up, which is regrettable," adding, "We called for preventing overwork death disasters and seeking institutional and rational solutions, but it is unfortunate."

The total number of delivery workers nationwide is estimated at 40,000. About 10% of delivery workers are unionized and organized. Committee member Jeon Kyungho said, "Even if only 10% of workers participate in the strike, it will have a significant impact," adding, "There are many unorganized workers, but we will proceed with this general strike for all delivery workers."