Will Platform-Rider Conflict Be Resolved... 'Labor-Management-Research Institute' Council Formed

Launch of the Social Dialogue Forum for Alternatives to Platform Labor

At the inauguration ceremony of the 1st Social Dialogue Forum for Alternative Solutions to Platform Labor on the 1st, Chairman Lee Byung-hoon is delivering a greeting.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Amid the rapid increase in orders through delivery applications (hereafter apps) due to the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), a consultative body has been formed to devise alternatives for platform labor issues such as the treatment of delivery workers (riders). Platform companies operating food delivery apps such as Woowa Brothers and Delivery Hero, labor unions representing riders working through these platforms, and public interest experts researching platform labor issues all participated. This is expected to serve as an opportunity to narrow the differences between platform companies and riders, who have had conflicts over delivery fee systems and working conditions.

On the 1st, the first term of the Social Dialogue Forum for Alternatives to Platform Labor (hereafter Platform Labor Forum) held its inauguration ceremony and first plenary meeting, announcing the background, significance, and future operational plans. The Platform Labor Forum is composed of Professor Lee Byung-hoon of Chung-Ang University as chairman, three public interest expert members, four labor union members from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Service Federation and Rider Union, and four corporate members from Korea Startup Forum, Woowa Brothers, Delivery Hero Korea, and Spidercraft.

The background for forming the Platform Labor Forum is that as platform labor rapidly increases and voices calling for institutional alternatives grow louder, platform companies and labor unions have reached a consensus on social dialogue. According to estimates by the Korea Employment Information Service, the number of platform workers in Korea is estimated to be between 470,000 and 540,000. Although various related studies and discussions have been conducted so far, there have been some limitations in deriving concrete measures. Accordingly, companies and labor unions requested responsible roles from public interest experts and active cooperation from the government, leading to the launch of the Platform Labor Forum. Jung Mina, Policy Director of Korea Startup Forum and corporate member secretary, said, "We are jointly focusing on creating an environment where delivery workers can work safely and laying the foundation for the healthy development of the industry," adding, "We will work together to establish constructive agreements based on mutual understanding and respect."

Through preliminary discussions during the preparation process, the agenda to be addressed by the Platform Labor Forum was condensed to include: consultation and proposals on the scope of protection for platform labor, establishment of standards to secure market order in the delivery industry, social protection measures to stabilize the treatment of delivery industry workers, and consultation and proposals on legal and institutional improvements for the development of the delivery industry and protection of workers. The Platform Labor Forum will operate over a six-month period until conclusions on these agendas are reached. Plenary meetings and secretariat meetings involving public interest experts, companies, and labor unions will be held alternately every two weeks, once a month each. The second plenary meeting following the first will be held on the 8th of next month, where companies and labor unions will respectively present their opinions on the four discussion topics. Afterwards, the forum plans to organize the issues and derive points of agreement. Jung said, "Discussions on platform labor are spreading worldwide, but it is rare to find precedents where related labor unions are actually formed and negotiations with companies follow," emphasizing, "Since we plan to expand beyond the delivery industry to various platform labor fields and industries in the future, we will do our best to establish exemplary precedents."

Chairman Lee Byung-hoon said, "We have taken a difficult decision to hold the inauguration ceremony during a very critical time due to COVID-19," adding, "While social dialogue has previously been a form where the government set the stage and invited labor and management, this time labor and management are taking the lead to resolve many conflicts and problems arising from platform labor and the economy, and to create a new order through dialogue and consultation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.