"Take the Freight Elevator"... Human Rights Commission Complaint Against Delivery Workers' Abuse at 103 Apartments

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Sunmi] "I felt immense shame and humiliation about being made to ride in the cargo compartment."

The delivery workers' union, Rider Union, announced on the 1st that it filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission against 103 apartment residents' representative councils that allegedly committed so-called 'gapjil' (abuse of power) against delivery workers by prohibiting helmet use or forcing them to use cargo elevators.

Through a press release on the same day, Rider Union stated, "We have submitted an online petition to the National Human Rights Commission requesting improvements and policy recommendations regarding the 'gapjil apartments.'"

Since last month, the organization collected reports from open KakaoTalk chat rooms and delivery workers to compile a list of 103 apartments in Seoul, Busan, Incheon, and Gwangju. These apartments have drawn complaints from delivery workers amid increased food delivery orders due to the spread of COVID-19, with guidelines such as ▲ prohibiting motorcycles from entering the ground level ▲ requiring deliveries on foot ▲ unauthorized collection of phone numbers ▲ banning helmet use ▲ mandating use of cargo elevators.

Meanwhile, the Delivery Service Branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Service Federation announced that, separately from Rider Union's petition submission, it plans to hold a press conference on the 2nd in front of the National Human Rights Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul, and submit a complaint against the 'gapjil apartments.' According to reports collected from about 400 delivery rider union members, the types of 'gapjil' include walking deliveries, riding only cargo elevators, being allowed to use only underground parking lots, demands to keep identification cards, and helmet-related hair loss.

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