On the 20th, a delivery worker suffering from power abuse and financial hardship took extreme measures... 11th death
10 delivery workers died from overwork due to severe labor intensity
A will left by delivery worker Mr. A, who made an extreme choice on the 20th after complaining of financial hardship. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporters Seunggon Han and Yeonju Kim] Amid a series of overwork deaths among delivery workers, on the 20th, a delivery worker driven by financial hardship left a suicide note and took his own life, sparking growing calls for improved treatment of these workers.
According to the National Delivery Workers' Union and the Jinhae Police Station in Gyeongnam, around 3 a.m. that day, Mr. A (50) was found dead at the Logen Delivery Busan Gangseo Branch terminal. It is reported that three pages of an A4-sized suicide note were found on Mr. A's clothing. The note reportedly contained appeals about his financial difficulties.
In the disclosed suicide note, Mr. A wrote, "We (delivery workers) have to prepare for this job by passing a national exam, purchasing a vehicle, and even obtaining a dedicated license plate. However, in reality, we are doing work that earns less than 2 million won," and appealed, "I hope corrective measures will be taken so that no one else like me will appear again."
Mr. A also revealed that he suffered mental distress due to the abusive behavior of the agency. In his note, he stated, "Despite knowing that unloading work in the midsummer heat causes overwork deaths, they refused to buy a used portable air conditioner for 1.5 million won," and "When something upsetting happened, they stopped the unloading work, called the manager to sit in a chair, and threw the paper coffee cup they were drinking into the trash while showing anger. Watching this, I realized that the manager was not seen as a manager but as below an employee."
Mr. A is not the only one who lost his life working under harsh conditions. This year alone, 11 delivery workers have died after enduring intense labor. The Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee (the Committee) estimates that, excluding Mr. A, 10 of the deceased delivery workers likely died from overwork.
On the 8th, Mr. B, a delivery worker affiliated with CJ Logistics who was performing delivery duties in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, complained of breathing difficulties and was taken to a hospital but ultimately passed away. Mr. B reportedly went to work every day at 6:30 a.m. and left work around 9 to 10 p.m., delivering an average of about 400 packages daily.
Last month on the 18th, ahead of the Chuseok holiday, officials were seen sorting parcels at a delivery center in downtown Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@
Despite the ongoing deaths, improvements in the treatment of delivery workers have not been made. According to a "Delivery Logistics Center Labor Conditions Survey" conducted by Democratic Party lawmaker Cheolmin Jang from the 25th of last month to the 3rd of this month targeting 104 daily laborers working in loading and unloading at delivery logistics centers, 57.7% of respondents reported having been injured while working.
Among the 40 who received hospital treatment, 87.5% (35 people) paid for their medical expenses out of pocket. Only 10% (4 people) had their hospital bills covered by their employer, and a mere 2.5% (just one person) received treatment under industrial accident insurance.
A major reason why delivery workers either pay for medical treatment themselves or avoid visiting hospitals after workplace injuries is the pressure from some employers who force delivery workers to fill out industrial accident insurance exemption forms.
Under current law, special-type workers, including delivery workers, can enroll in industrial accident insurance, but if they submit an exemption application themselves, they may not be covered. Employers, who must pay half of the insurance premiums, often exploit this by effectively coercing delivery workers to apply for exemption.
Given this situation, voices are growing, centered on the Delivery Worker Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee, calling for improvements in delivery workers' working conditions and measures to prevent recurrence.
On the morning of the 19th, the Committee held a press conference in front of Hanjin Delivery headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, stating, "We are desperate to understand why this reality has not improved despite consecutive deaths. Will we just leave delivery workers to continue dying like this?" and urged, "We strongly demand that the government take drastic measures to ensure no more delivery workers die."
Meanwhile, on the 19th, Employment and Labor Minister Jaegab Lee announced at a crisis response task force meeting held at the Government Sejong Complex that from the 21st to the 13th of next month, emergency inspections will be conducted at 40 major sub-terminals and 400 agencies including CJ Logistics and Hanjin Delivery.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to conduct emergency inspections targeting delivery companies and agencies and carry out interviews with about 6,000 delivery workers. During the three-week emergency inspection, cooperation with related agencies such as the National Tax Service will be made to investigate whether industrial accident insurance enrollment reports have been filed.
※ If you or someone around you is experiencing difficult feelings such as depression or other hard-to-talk-about concerns, professional counseling is available 24/7 at the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1393, Mental Health Counseling ☎1577-0199, Hope Phone ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, and Youth Hotline ☎1388.
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