Post Office, Hanjin, CJ Logistics Clash... Concerns Over Total Strike Recurrence if United
[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Discord is emerging between courier companies and courier unions in various places. The courier unions have announced strikes as they confront management over issues such as securing their right to livelihood, failed wage negotiations, and reinstatement. While it is widely expected that individual issues with courier companies will not lead to a logistics crisis, concerns are rising that a total strike could recur if the unions unite.
According to the courier industry on the 26th, the Courier Union Post Office Headquarters plans to hold a strike vote on July 2-3 and then launch the first warning general strike on July 14. This strike decision by the courier union comes after three months of failed wage negotiations with the Korea Post. The union claims that Korea Post presented a "slave contract" full of toxic clauses, including ▲violations of collective agreements ▲cancellation of negotiation topics ▲violations of the Living Logistics Act.
The Courier Union Post Office Headquarters held a press conference at the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union conference room on the same day, stating, "At the conclusion of wage negotiations, they thrust an absurd slave contract, driving labor-management talks to a breakdown," and emphasized, "The labor union will respond with an all-out struggle, including a total strike, against Korea Post's unfair political alignment and attempts to revert the courier field."
General courier companies are also clashing with unions. In the case of Hanjin Express, the union is demanding that the company guarantee their right to livelihood as the volume of parcels entrusted by Coupang has decreased.
According to the union, Coupang, a major client of Hanjin's courier business, plans to expand its own delivery zones and convert 3.7 million parcels in 60 areas including Gyeonggi and Gangwon to self-delivery starting July 14. Currently, Hanjin delivers about 7 million parcels per month for Coupang. More than half of this volume will be lost. Hanjin plans to secure other client volumes and engage in multifaceted negotiations with Coupang to minimize the impact on courier drivers. However, the union plans to begin full-scale struggles starting in June. A union official explained, "We are currently reviewing various aspects (of the struggle)."
CJ Logistics has seen the courier union, which conducted a 65-day strike at the end of last year, initiate partial strikes starting this month on the 23rd, with some union members striking every Monday. Approximately 800 people are reported to be participating in this strike. At the end of the previous strike, the union and the CJ Logistics agency union agreed to draft only the standard contract and to discuss the 'supplementary agreement' after returning to the field. However, the union claims that some agencies have not withdrawn contract terminations for courier drivers and are refusing to draft the standard contract, thus not implementing the agreement. The agency union explained regarding the union's claims, "We are currently undergoing legal review concerning the contract termination cases."
The industry views that since the courier unions have not yet launched full-scale strikes and the number of participants is small, it is unlikely to lead to a logistics crisis. However, there is also speculation that the situation could worsen if the issue remains unresolved and the unions unite. An industry official said, "Since the courier unions are acting individually rather than collectively, the possibility of a logistics crisis is low," but added, "The situation could change depending on how union members participate."
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