Guaranteeing Voting Rights for Delivery Workers
Coupang Temporarily Halts Rocket Delivery for the First Time in 14 Years
On June 3, the day of the 21st presidential election, major domestic courier companies such as CJ Logistics, Lotte Global Logistics, Hanjin Express, Logen Express, and Korea Post have all decided to suspend deliveries. Coupang has also decided, for the first time, to halt deliveries on election day, joining the effort to guarantee the voting rights of delivery workers.
Coupang also decided to suspend deliveries on the presidential election day for the first time, joining the effort to guarantee the voting rights of delivery workers. Yonhap News
According to the courier industry on May 24, Coupang announced late the previous day that it would not offer daytime deliveries on election day. This is the first time since the launch of its 'Rocket Delivery' service in 2014. Previously, other courier companies had indicated that they would also take a day off if Coupang decided to suspend operations.
This measure is intended to guarantee the right to vote for delivery workers, who have had to work even on election days. Delivery workers are classified as "special employment workers," working under delegation or subcontract contracts with their companies. As such, they are not recognized as employees under the Labor Standards Act and have not been guaranteed paid holidays. Until now, courier companies have designated election days as holidays through mutual agreement.
However, as competition for seven-day-a-week delivery has intensified in the courier industry, there was controversy this year because a decision to suspend operations on election day was not made until the last minute.
Parcels are piled up at the Dong Seoul Postal Logistics Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
In response, the National Courier Workers' Union (Courier Union) stated on May 22, "Because of Coupang, other courier companies also began seven-day-a-week deliveries, and in order not to fall behind in the competition, all have designated June 3 as a workday," and called for the 21st presidential election day to be designated as a "no delivery day."
The National Assembly also stepped in. Speaker Woo Wonshik urged that election day be designated as a holiday to guarantee delivery workers' right to vote. Speaker Woo stated, "If courier companies do not take measures such as designating election day as a holiday, it will be virtually impossible for delivery workers to participate in this presidential election," and emphasized, "Special measures are needed for those who are at risk of being excluded from exercising their right to vote."
As a result, with Coupang joining the suspension, most domestic courier deliveries will stop on the day of the presidential election.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
