Out of Breath Amid Piles of Parcels... The Hidden Cost of Fast Delivery [Workers in Crisis] ⑤

Relying on Large Fans Without Air Conditioning
Drenched in Sweat After Just 30 Minutes
Nonstop Labor Until the End of the Shift

"The weather today is unprecedentedly hot. This is a real problem."

Working at a logistics center. Photo by Youngchan Choi

On July 8, when the daytime high soared to 35 degrees Celsius, at a logistics camp in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, anxious conversations about the heatwave could be heard in the helpers' office. A notice on the wall read, "Make sure to consume enough glucose and water." New helpers were provided with a heatwave kit containing a cool pack and an ion drink. The kit served as a line of defense against the extreme heat.

I also filled out the contract in the office, put on safety shoes, and moved to the worksite. The supervisor, wearing a khaki vest, said, "Someone collapsed from dehydration yesterday," and repeatedly urged, "Make sure to drink plenty of water." At 10 a.m., after stretching and a safety briefing, assignments were given out immediately. My initial task was sorting, but the supervisor called my name and told me to move to unloading. This was the job of handling cargo.

A logistics center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, where a reporter personally performed unloading labor. Photo by Choi Youngchan

As I had heard, this was the epitome of grueling work. I had to continuously lift parcels stacked on pallets, which were much taller than an average adult male, onto the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt never stopped, and heavy bags of rice, soil, and bundles of beverages kept coming. There were also fresh bags containing perishable goods. As soon as I emptied one pallet, a new one was brought in, leaving no time to rest. Repeatedly bending, lifting, and carrying caused cold sweat to run down my back. I was soon out of breath.

After just 30 minutes of work, my whole body was drenched in sweat. After about an hour, pain started to set in my arms and lower back. Everyone was moving busily, so there was not even a moment to say, "Excuse me." One coworker said with a wry smile, "Last year, I lost 10 kilograms in a month doing unloading work." When I tried to lift goods with my weakened arms, my elbows trembled. Just as I thought, "I can't do this anymore," someone nearby remarked, "There are still four hours left." That one comment made my arms feel even heavier.

There were large fans and ceiling fans running in the workspace. However, without air conditioning, the heat was overwhelming. As time passed, my hands started to tingle and my feet became sticky. The heat trapped inside my work clothes crept up my back.

On the 8th, helpers are resting at a logistics center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Youngchan Choi

At 11:40 a.m., we were given a break. Out of the total five-hour shift, this was the only 30-minute break provided. The air conditioner was running in the helpers' office. After the short break, the helpers lined up again and headed back to the worksite. Until the end of the shift at 3 p.m., we had to work without any official break. Although it was possible to leave momentarily to get a drink of water, nobody could truly rest as they wished. Even when leaving to quench their thirst, workers would take a quick sip and immediately return to their stations. Kim, 27, who had come to earn some pocket money after finishing the CPA exam, said, "I've done part-time work before, but I've never worked on such a hot day," adding, "It was extremely tough to work without even a lunch break."

At 2:55 p.m., with just five minutes left until the end of the shift, the work was still not finished. The supervisor's voice echoed through the workplace speakers, saying, "Please set up the rolltainers (RT)." RTs are mobile steel racks used to stack parcels in logistics centers. Sorting workers move the sorted boxes onto the RTs, and once full, they are transported to the trucks. The workload did not let up until just before the end of the shift. At that moment, the shoulders of several helpers slumped. Their physical strength was already depleted.

At 3 p.m., helpers who were not working overtime left for the day. I also left the office, my clothes soaked in sweat. Over the course of the day, I had handled 14 pallets by myself. My face was exhausted from the heat, my head was throbbing, and the weight of the labor lingered in my back and arms.

On the 10th, the temperature at a logistics center workplace in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province reached 32.9 degrees Celsius. The union of the logistics center

The company says it is expanding cooling facilities at logistics centers nationwide, but on-site workers still feel the measures are insufficient. According to the company's temperature log obtained by Asia Economy, on July 10, the workplace at the Yeoju center recorded a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius. On the same day, the union reported that the Dongtan center reached 33.4 degrees Celsius by 10:30 a.m.

The more delivery service companies insist that deliveries cannot be delayed, the higher the labor intensity becomes for helpers. Consumers can conveniently place orders through an application (app), but that convenience is made possible by the sweat of workers. It made me think that the right of those working in the heat to take breaks should be protected along with that convenience.