Delivery Workers' Union to Refuse Sorting Work from the 21st... Will There Be a Chuseok Delivery Crisis?

"To Work Without Dying"
95.5% of Union Members Approve

On the 17th, a press conference titled "Full Refusal of Parcel Workers' Sorting Work and Announcement of the Position of the Countermeasures Committee for Parcel Workers' Death from Overwork" was held at the National Democratic Labor Union Federation conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Donghoon Jeong and Jeongyun Lee] Ahead of the Chuseok holiday, more than 4,000 delivery workers nationwide are launching a strike refusing to sort packages due to excessive workload burdens.

The Delivery Workers Overwork Death Countermeasures Committee held a press conference on the morning of the 17th at the main conference room of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in Jeong-dong, Seoul, announcing that from the 21st they will completely refuse to perform package sorting tasks.

The committee stated, "We ask for understanding that although refusing sorting work will cause significant disruptions to Chuseok delivery services, no more delivery workers should collapse from overwork," adding, "We intend to refuse sorting work in order to work without dying, to deliver not only today but tomorrow and the day after."

They continued, "Sorting work is the core reason delivery workers must start work at dawn and deliver packages late into the night, involving long working hours. Despite spending half of their 13 to 16-hour workdays on sorting, they receive no pay for this work," and noted, "The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also announced protective measures for delivery workers, recommending temporary staffing for sorting tasks, and the President has instructed the deployment of temporary personnel."

The committee emphasized, "However, delivery companies remain silent and unresponsive," adding, "While society as a whole is concerned about delivery workers dying from overwork and demands the deployment of sorting staff, delivery companies are turning a blind eye and ear, stubbornly resisting."

Jin Kyungho, executive committee member of the countermeasures committee, said, "We asked for realistic measures, but unfortunately, so far, the conglomerate delivery companies and the Korea Post have no plans," adding, "We have no choice but to proceed with the strike according to the given schedule and plan."

Park Seokwoon, co-representative of the committee, also said, "It is regrettable that although the President has ordered measures to be taken, the conglomerate delivery companies have not presented any plans, and even the Korea Post is not stepping up," adding, "We called for preventing overwork death disasters and seeking institutional and rational solutions, but it is unfortunate."

Earlier, from the 14th to the 16th, the committee conducted a general vote among delivery workers on completely refusing sorting work. A total of 4,358 participants, including members of the KCTU Delivery Solidarity Union, took part, with 95.5% voting in favor.

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