Kyungryeolyeon: "Parcel Delivery Industry Must Faithfully Implement Social Agreement with Labor Unions"

Courier Union Has Been on Strike Since the 28th of Last Month

Officials from the National Courier Workers' Union held a final hunger strike declaration and a 4th general strike resolution rally on the 6th in front of the CJ Group headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, demanding fair distribution of increased courier fees and recognition of the union. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] The Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice (CCEJ) issued a statement on the 27th urging the parcel delivery industry to implement the social agreement made with the National Parcel Delivery Workers' Union (Parcel Delivery Union).

On this day, CCEJ stated in the announcement that the strike by the Parcel Delivery Union is causing increasing inconvenience to citizens ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday and demanded the parcel delivery industry to fulfill the social agreement.

CCEJ said, "Early last year, as the brutal workload of parcel delivery workers and continuous deaths from overwork became a serious social issue, the Parcel Delivery Workers' Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee, parcel delivery companies, the government, political circles, and consumer groups came together to produce results. However, the social agreement has not been properly implemented, and the government and ruling party that participated in the agreement have consistently acted irresponsibly," criticizing the situation.

Last year, the social agreement body announced the first and second agreements on measures to prevent overwork of parcel delivery workers. The agreements included ▲clarifying parcel delivery companies' responsibility for sorting work ▲limiting parcel delivery workers' working hours to 60 hours per week and night deliveries until 9 p.m. ▲completion of excluding sorting work from parcel delivery workers by 2021 ▲a parcel delivery cost increase factor of 170 won ▲and reflecting the main contents of the detailed implementation plan (appendix) in the standard contract. The Parcel Delivery Union has been striking since the 28th of last month, claiming that parcel delivery companies are not adhering to the agreed terms.

CCEJ stated, "Parcel delivery companies have regarded the increased parcel delivery fees, which were raised to improve labor conditions, solely as profits for the companies rather than using them to prevent overwork deaths and improve treatment of parcel delivery workers," and strongly condemned the double standards of major parcel delivery companies. They urged active efforts to minimize citizens' inconvenience and improve the working environment and contract conditions of parcel delivery workers and parcel agency owners.

Furthermore, they emphasized, "The government and ruling party must continuously monitor and support the smooth implementation of the agreement," and "The ruling party should also take a more progressive stance in the National Assembly by enacting and revising related laws to protect and support parcel delivery labor."