Delivery Stops, and the Crane Halts

2100 Parcel Delivery Union Members Strike... Union Members Without Bargaining Rights Resume Work from 11 AM
Tower Crane Union Also on Full Strike... Over 3,000 Units at Construction Sites Halted

[Asia Economy Reporters Im On-yu and Yoo Byung-don] As the ‘Social Agreement Organization for Measures Against Overwork Deaths of Delivery Workers’ failed to reach a second agreement, the delivery industry will begin a strike starting on the 9th.

The Delivery Workers’ Union will conduct a strike approval vote among its members from 9 a.m. that day. The results will be announced at 1:30 p.m. at the ‘Rally to Condemn Chaebol Delivery Companies and Korea Post Headquarters for Rejecting Social Agreement’ held in front of the Seoul Integrated Logistics Center. This vote is more about internally gauging the members’ opinions rather than securing the right to strike, and the union expects an overwhelming approval rate.

The number of union members with the right to strike who will participate in the general strike is about 2,100. Korea Post delivery, where individual sorting work is not performed, is effectively in a strike state. Delivery companies that temporarily assign sorting work will strictly load only individually sorted packages, according to the Delivery Workers’ Union. Even union members without the right to strike will join the strike by coming to work at 9 a.m. and starting deliveries from 11 a.m., making some delivery disruptions inevitable.

Jin Kyung-ho, chairman of the Delivery Workers’ Union, stated, “The superficial reason for the failure of the agreement is that the Agency Alliance, one of the participating parties, did not attend, but the core reason for the breakdown is that delivery companies delayed the social agreement and requested a one-year grace period for its implementation.” He added, “The Korea Post Headquarters, which did not assign a single sorting worker, did not even explain their reason for absence and simply did not participate. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport proposed a draft agreement, but it lacked measures to compensate for wage reductions caused by reduced delivery volumes.”

Labor, management, and government representatives will meet again on the 15th and 16th to attempt a resolution.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Construction sites nationwide, including apartments and buildings, are also mostly halted due to a strike by the Tower Crane Union. Following the union’s full strike the previous day, about 70% (around 3,000) of the 4,200 cranes operating nationwide have stopped working.

The Construction Workers’ Union said at a press conference the day before, “Although the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport deregistered or ordered corrections for 369 units of 12 types of small tower cranes that violated safety standards, they have been brazenly used on site. We are striking to protect the safety of citizens and the lives of construction workers.”

Both the Delivery Workers’ Union and the Tower Crane Union are under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). The KCTU, which has announced a general strike in November, plans to hold a nationwide workers’ rally in Seoul on the 3rd of next month with 10,000 members participating, demanding the government implement measures to eradicate serious accidents and resolve issues related to irregular workers.

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