[Exclusive] CJ Logistics' Trial Run of "Second-Round Delivery"... Union Hits Back with "On-Time Departures"

Reviewing pilot operations at hub terminals in Daejeon, Gonjiam, and other locations
CJ Logistics: "No specific timeline set... It will not be carried out every day"

When CJ Logistics moved to trial a "second-round delivery" system by changing the last departure times of line-haul trucks at key hub terminals such as Daejeon and Gonjiam, the parcel delivery union launched a strong protest.

CJ Logistics Megahub Gonjiam. CJ Logistics

According to the industry on February 5, the National Courier Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Service Federation began a "12 o'clock forced departure struggle" on February 3. Under the original rules, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when parcel volumes are concentrated, trucks are supposed to depart at 12:00 p.m., and on other days at 11:00 a.m. However, in practice, these departure times have generally not been observed at worksites. The union’s intention is to strictly follow the official departure times to counter the company’s operational changes. If on-time departures are enforced, trucks may leave the terminal before all sorting and loading work is completed, potentially leaving residual parcels behind.

The core of the second-round delivery plan is to delay the last departure time of line-haul trucks leaving hub terminals. If that happens, local drivers will be able to finish their morning deliveries, then return in the afternoon to pick up parcels that have newly arrived and deliver them to customers in the evening as part of a second delivery round.

The union argues that pushing ahead with second-round delivery on Tuesdays, when volumes are already heavy and departure times are not properly observed even under normal conditions, will further intensify the workload, and is therefore opposing the move. It also maintains that if the company formalizes second-round delivery without consulting the union, it would constitute a violation of the collective bargaining agreement.

Although CJ Logistics has not yet officially introduced Tuesday second-round delivery and only has a plan to conduct a trial run at specific terminals, drivers are expressing concern that once it starts, the system could be expanded nationwide.

A courier in his 30s surnamed Lee, who works in Dangjin, South Chungcheong Province, said, "The company says it will only test this on Tuesdays at certain hub terminals, but it is hard to trust that," adding, "In the end, isn't this a step toward institutionalizing a second-round delivery system like Coupang's?" He went on to say, "The round trip between my delivery area and the center is 40 kilometers, and telling me to do that one more time on the same day is effectively telling me not to go home."

CJ Logistics, for its part, says that the exact implementation date has not yet been decided. A CJ Logistics official explained, "We were reviewing an extended-operation measure on Tuesdays, when parcel volumes are high, in order to deliver as many parcels as possible to customers," adding, "It is not something that would be done every day, and we are still at a stage where an overall process design is needed, so more time is required."

However, under the collective bargaining agreement signed last year between the parcel delivery union and CJ Logistics, a strike by the union is currently not allowed. Instead of going on strike, the union is expected to continue collective action in the form of so-called "lawful struggle," such as strictly enforcing on-time departures.