Chauffeur service drivers accused Kakao of breaking its vows and implementing the ‘Pro Service’ policy to begin charging program fees. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEOUL, Dec. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — Chauffeur service drivers in South Korea are raising their voices against Kakao Corp.’s new carpooling service.
The National Chauffeurs Labor Union and the National Chauffeurs Cooperative held a press conference in Seoul on Thursday, condemning Kakao for “threatening the lives of chauffeurs and taxi drivers,” and the South Korean government for “remaining a spectator.”
“Kakao is exploiting the name of shared economy to kill off laborers,” they said.
“Taxi drivers are already burdened by long working hours and exorbitant payments they have to make to their companies, and now, Kakao’s carpooling service is sending them to their deaths.”
They said Kakao was able to enter the chauffeur service by vowing to “freeze commission rates at 10 percent while paying for program and insurance fees” in 2016.
“However, Kakao took away as much as 20 percent from chauffeurs working overnight.”
They also accused Kakao of breaking its vows and implementing the ‘Pro Service’ policy to begin charging program fees.
“We strongly urge the government and the company to take social responsibility to improve the shared economy of laborers and citizens by shutting down Kakao’s Pro Service as well as the carpooling service,” they said.
Meanwhile, taxi associations held a mass demonstration in front of the National Assembly yesterday.
H. M. Kang (hmkang@koreabizwire.com)
