Delivery workers in the Gyeongnam region have called for the formation of a tripartite consultative body to ensure the safety of delivery riders during the intense summer heat.
On July 16, the Changwon branch of the Rider Union under the Public Transport Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference in front of the Changwon Employment and Labor Office, stating, "We demand the establishment of a tripartite consultative body to set safety standards for delivery riders."
The Changwon branch of the Rider Union argued, "Even in deadly heat waves, delivery riders, who typically receive a delivery fee of 2,000 won, continue to work while reporting symptoms of heat-related illnesses in order to receive a heatwave surcharge," adding, "This is because there are no legal or institutional standards for the safety of delivery riders."
The Changwon branch of the Rider Union under the Public Transport Workers' Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions is urging the formation of a tripartite consultative body for rider safety in front of the Changwon Employment and Labor Office. Photo by Lee Seryoung
According to the Changwon branch, July 16 marks the start of Baemin's 'subcontractor rating system,' in which the delivery platform Baemin pays commissions to subcontractors based on riders' order acceptance rates and the number of deliveries completed by time slot.
The branch criticized, "The subcontractor rating system encourages subcontractors to squeeze delivery riders even harder."
The branch also pointed out Baemin's recent promotion, which offered an additional 300,000 won for completing 260 deliveries over four days from July 10 to 14, stating, "This goal requires completing 67 deliveries per day, or an average of 2.8 orders per hour, meaning riders must work non-stop without sleep or rest."
The branch emphasized, "There are no legal or institutional standards for delivery work regarding measures during heatwaves, delivery fee criteria, rider insurance, licenses, or operating rules for delivery agencies," and appealed, "Ultimately, if the platform company holds all decision-making power, delivery workers have no choice but to comply."
On this day, the Rider Union branch announced the results of an emergency survey on the heatwave situation, conducted from July 13 to 15 with 96 delivery riders.
According to the data, 83.3% of respondents said they 'mainly continue working' even during heatwaves.
When asked, "Have you ever experienced symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, or muscle cramps while working in heatwave conditions?" 89.6% of respondents answered "yes."
Among those who answered "yes," 41.8% said the severity of their heat-related symptoms was "high," and 15.1% said it was "very high."
Only 23.3% of those experiencing these symptoms sought medical treatment. The rest either took headache medicine or did not seek treatment; 61.6% reported "taking a short break before returning to work," 18.6% "continued working without rest," and 17.4% "immediately stopped working and took a rest."
Song Seongheon, acting chair of the Changwon branch, stated, "Even now, someone is making a living delivering orders on roads where temperatures soar above 30 degrees Celsius, but platform companies focus only on order acceptance and delivery success rates, not rider safety." He emphasized, "As a first step toward establishing standards for delivery work, we demand the formation of a delivery rider safety consultative body."
The branch stressed that the 'Delivery Rider Safety Consultative Body' should promote discussions on a safe delivery fee system, expansion of the scope of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, introduction of a rider qualification and agency registration system including mandatory insurance and safety training, and the establishment of measures to protect riders' personal information.
Song also stated, "Without delivery, neither food, logistics, nor the local economy can function," adding, "There is no platform without riders, and the future of platforms depends on the safety of riders."
The press conference was held simultaneously in eight regions: Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Chungbuk, Daejeon, Ulsan, Busan, and Changwon.
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