Delivery workers announce the formation of a labor union during a press conference in Seoul on Jan. 18, 2022. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 19 (Korea Bizwire) — About 300,000 delivery platform workers have formed their own labor union.
The delivery platform workers affiliated with the Korean Federation of Service Workers’ Union held a press conference in Seoul on Tuesday and launched the Delivery Platform Labor Union (tentative name).
The new union members claimed that accidents involving delivery workers have been growing every year primarily due to low delivery commissions, speed competition among delivery platforms, and customer demand for faster delivery.
They stressed that the new labor union will contribute to addressing the deficiency of legal oversight and improving the safety of delivery workers.
Moreover, they noted that they will push for the introduction of the ‘safe delivery system’ with a focus on restricting the number of delivery cases per hour, ensuring an adequate level of delivery commission and obligating delivery platforms to cover accident insurance for delivery workers.
“Platform businesses are enjoying rising popularity thanks to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Nonetheless, platform workers are in a blind spot of labor laws.” said Hong Chang-eui, head of the labor union.
“There is lots of work to do given the lack of social consciousness about delivery commissions.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
