Self-Employed Workers' Collective Action Against Delivery Apps
"Planning Another Delivery Platform Boycott"
Aiming for a Win-Win Solution Among Delivery Platform Stakeholders
Kim (33), who runs a spicy braised fish restaurant in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, had a quiet phone on the 21st. This was because he had turned off the Baedal Minjok delivery application (app) that he used daily. Although order notifications that used to ring several times an hour did not come, Kim was instead filled with anticipation. He said, "It doesn't matter if the collective action results are minimal or low. I think the great significance lies in the fact that we raised our voices for the first time without being dragged along by the delivery app's wrongdoing."
Self-employed people nationwide launched a boycott campaign to not accept 'Baemin Delivery' (Baemin's own delivery service) orders for one day. Although there have been attempts to respond to delivery apps before, this is the first time self-employed people have organized themselves and carried out collective action.
On the 21st, the 'National Owners' Meeting for a Fair Platform' (Gongsamo) announced that self-employed people nationwide would turn off Baemin Delivery orders for one day and only accept 'Store Delivery' (delivery service by the store owner) orders as part of collective action.
Gongsamo is an online group of about 300 self-employed people nationwide. Kim Young-myeong, chairman of Gongsamo, explained, "Baemin Delivery has caused management difficulties for store owners and delivery agencies, a drop in rates for Baemin riders, and delivery delays. We planned this event to encourage customers to make reasonable choices."
Chairman Kim said, "I think the significance lies in the fact that this collective action was carried out rather than the actual participation rate. We are also planning a boycott targeting other delivery platforms, and the ultimate goal is to create a win-win plan for stakeholders of delivery platforms."
Recently, as delivery apps have successively started free delivery, self-employed people have reported bearing excessive commissions and delivery fees. For example, unlike the existing plan (Ultracall) that cost 88,000 KRW per month, store owners must subscribe to the 'Baemin1 Plus' flat-rate plan to receive free delivery. With a brokerage commission of 6.8%, card fees, and additional delivery fees that store owners must bear (3,300 KRW in Seoul), self-employed people criticize this as a "structure where the more you work, the more you lose."
The proportion of store owners participating in the boycott campaign is estimated to be around 10% of the total. Kim Jun-hyung (33), who runs a late-night snack specialty store in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, also decided to participate in the collective action. Kim emphasized, "Through this action, I want customers to experience the lower prices and better service of store delivery. I hope it becomes an opportunity to raise awareness of store delivery."
Jo (38), who runs a hamburger shop in Gwangju Metropolitan City, said, "Self-employed people are bearing all the damage. We want to show that we can do something too." Yoon Mi-jung (38), who runs a snack bar in Cheongju, Chungbuk, said, "Many business owners who cannot bear the free delivery policy will close their businesses. I hope discussions about Baemin and Coupang Eats will take place soon with the involvement of the media and political circles."
This collective action by self-employed people is considered unusual. Professor Lee Bong-ui of Seoul National University Law School explained, "It is difficult to find common characteristics among delivery app-affiliated store owners in terms of store size, business type, and all other aspects. Because of these issues, it has been difficult for anyone to represent the group and file complaints with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) or others."
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