State-run postal service operator Korea Post and the Korean Postal Workers’ Union recently agreed to introduce a five-day workweek system for mail carriers working in rural areas.
(Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Korea Bizwire) — Over the past five years, as many as 29 employees of state-run postal service operator Korea Post, including letter carriers, were found to have committed suicide.
Rep. Yoon Sang-jik of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party reported that 21 of the 29 Korea Post employees who committed suicide between 2015 and 2019 were mail carriers.
The reasons were mainly unknown (12 people), while some of them committed suicide due to family issues (seven people), debt (four people), or depression.
During the same period, 15 staff died in the line of duty due to car accidents or other reasons, showing that twice as many workers committed suicide compared to those who died on duty.
In response, Korea Post and the Korean Postal Workers’ Union recently agreed to introduce a five-day workweek system for mail carriers working in rural areas.
To make this work, both management and the union plan to work on outsourcing parcel deliveries to local private companies.
In areas where outsourcing is unavailable, Korea Post plans to recruit employees who will have a Tuesday to Saturday workweek.
Areas where both outsourcing and recruiting are difficult will be designated as out-of-service areas where deliveries are unavailable on Saturdays.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
