"Want to Live with Dignity" Post Tower Occupation Protest by Post Office Courier Union

Post Office Courier Union's Surprise Occupation Protest at Yeouido Post Tower Enters Second Day
Conflict Continues Over Courier Sorting Work Fees
Union: "No Social Agreement Until Sorting Work Issues Are Resolved"
Postal Service Headquarters: "Rebuttal, Fee Restructuring Plans Already Communicated to Union Multiple Times"

On the 15th, the Post Office Courier Union, affiliated with the National Courier Workers' Union, continued a surprise occupation protest at the Post Tower in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

[Asia Economy Reporters Juhyung Lim, Intern Hyunju Park] "Take responsibility for the sorting work!", "Let's continue the final struggle."

On the 15th, the Post Office Courier Union, affiliated with the National Courier Workers' Union, continued its surprise occupation protest at the Post Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, for the second day. The Post Office Courier Union is demanding a clear stance from the Korea Post Headquarters, claiming that although the headquarters promised to pay appropriate fees related to courier sorting work, they have violated this promise. On the other hand, the Korea Post Headquarters refuted this, stating that they have already explained the delivery fee restructuring plan to the union several times.

Union members urging the Korea Post to take responsibility for parcel sorting labor. / Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

On this day, the first-floor lobby of the Post Tower was filled with the shouts of union members. The members, seated orderly in the center of the lobby, shouted slogans such as "Korea Post Headquarters must take responsibility" and "We are justified" in unison with the leadership's commands, and also sang the labor song "Iron Worker" together.

One union member who took the stage spoke calmly, saying, "The Korea Post Headquarters is making fictitious and nonsensical claims," and emphasized, "We must uphold our justification and legitimacy to the end in the final stages of the sorting work struggle and expose the fictitious nature of the Korea Post Headquarters, continuing the final struggle."

The back of a union member attending the protest bears the phrase "The parcel sorting company must take responsibility and implement immediately." / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

Another union member said, "When doing courier work, I often have to go up and down 4 to 5 floors of apartments carrying items like rice and detergent. These items weigh about 10 to 20 kg," and lamented, "At nearly 50 years old, climbing dozens of floors in apartments every day makes me think, 'Ah, I might really die doing this.'"

He continued, "Comrades, how many of us have died doing this kind of work?" and vowed, "Let's make sure no more comrades die."

The reason the Post Office Courier Union occupied the Post Tower was to demand a clear stance from the Korea Post Headquarters on the payment of fees for courier sorting work.

Sorting work is a major point of conflict between courier companies and the union. The sorting of parcels before delivery at logistics centers usually takes 4 to 5 hours, and although most courier workers perform this task themselves, they do not receive separate allowances. The union claims that this sorting work is the main cause of overwork deaths among courier workers and has defined it as effectively "free labor."

Police are guarding the entrance lobby on the 1st floor of Yeouido Post Tower. / Photo by Jin-geun Yoon PD yoon@

Earlier, the government ruling party, courier labor and management, and consumer groups formed a "Social Agreement Body for Measures Against Courier Worker Overwork Deaths" (Social Agreement Body), and in January reached a first agreement stating that "courier sorting work is the responsibility of the courier company."

However, the Post Office Courier Union claims that despite the Korea Post Headquarters agreeing to the agreement, they still have not properly paid wages for sorting work.

Regarding this, Yoon Joonghyun, head of the Korea Post Headquarters of the Courier Union, told Asia Economy, "In the first social agreement document, related institutions including the Korea Post Headquarters clearly stated that courier sorting work is the responsibility of the principal employer," and explained, "Yet they have not paid appropriate fees to the workers who performed the sorting work."

He added, "The Korea Post Headquarters has not made a clear statement on this," and urged, "The actions of the management before and after signing the agreement must clearly change. The Korea Post Headquarters must clarify its position on sorting work."

This protest began on the previous day (14th) around 11:30 a.m. when about 120 union members of the Post Office Courier Union occupied the Post Tower.

At a press conference that day, the union stated, "On the 4th, the Korea Post Headquarters said they would implement individual sorting for parcel delivery workers and pay appropriate fees until implementation," but "on the 11th, they made an absurd claim that sorting costs had already been included in the fees paid."

They continued, "There is no record of sorting costs in any of the monthly fee payment details received by Post Office courier workers," and emphasized, "If the Korea Post Headquarters does not resolve this, there will be no social agreement settlement."

The Post Office Courier Union held a press conference on the 15th, urging the government to establish measures to prevent overwork-related deaths among courier workers. / Photo by Hyunju Park phj0325@

The Korea Post Headquarters immediately refuted the union's claims. In a statement released that day, the Korea Post Headquarters said, "From March to May 2020, we explained the parcel delivery fee restructuring plan to the Courier Union six times," and "After reflecting the opinions of the union leadership, we finalized the fee system and signed a collective agreement. The union's claim that we never explained the research results or shared the research report is not true."

Regarding the union occupying the first-floor lobby of the Post Tower, they said, "The illegal occupation is causing business disruptions to tenants and ongoing inconvenience to Korea Post customers," and warned, "Despite sending eviction requests, the protest continues, which is regrettable, and we will strongly respond to violations of the law," signaling legal action.

Meanwhile, on the 8th, the second meeting of the Social Agreement Body ended in a breakdown of negotiations among the union, courier companies, and government. It is reported that the courier companies requested a one-year postponement of the implementation of the first social agreement, preventing the narrowing of differences between labor and management.

Following this, on the 9th, the Courier Union began an indefinite general strike. On the 15th, the union plans a "Seoul Rally" with 5,500 members participating, holding a two-day protest at Yeouido Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.

The National Assembly plans to hold a Social Agreement Body "Sorting and Other Subcommittee" meeting from 1 p.m. that day, and a "Courier Fee Subcommittee" meeting from 1:30 p.m. the next day (16th).

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