KCCI: "CJ Logistics Delivery Union Strike Lacks Justification... Should Be Withdrawn Considering the Public and Economy"

Cost Investment Implementation According to Social Agreement of Each Courier Company
Supplementary Agreement Also Approved by Government Based on Standard Contract
Courier Workers' Working Hours Within 60 Hours per Week

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The CJ Logistics union will launch a full-scale strike starting on the 28th of this month, demanding the distribution of the increased parcel delivery fees and measures to prevent overwork among delivery workers. In response, the business community has criticized the strike as unjustified, calling for its withdrawal, especially since it is being staged right after the end of the AdBlue shortage, using year-end parcel logistics as leverage.

The Korea Employers Federation (KEF) issued a statement titled "Position on the Nationwide Parcel Delivery Union Strike" on the 27th, urging "the parcel delivery union to withdraw the strike."

The CJ Logistics branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions’ Nationwide Parcel Delivery Union claims that the company violated social agreements by raising fees and gaining excessive extra profits, demanding profit sharing from the increased fees. The union also alleges that CJ Logistics added an annex agreement to the standard contract containing clauses that cause overwork among delivery workers. Based on this, the CJ Logistics union held a strike vote, which passed with 93.6% approval from union members, and plans to begin the full strike on the 28th. CJ Logistics holds about 50% of the domestic parcel delivery market, making logistics disruptions inevitable in regions with high union membership such as Ulsan, Changwon, Gwangju, and Seongnam.

In response, KEF rebutted the union’s claims as inaccurate and argued that the strike lacks justification. KEF stated, "According to CJ Logistics, there is no violation of the social agreement, and all parcel delivery companies, including CJ Logistics, are faithfully investing costs in accordance with the social agreement." They added, "The annex agreement was also drafted based on the standard contract and approved by the government, and delivery workers’ working hours are limited to within 60 hours per week, so the union’s claims lack persuasiveness."

KEF further criticized, "The parcel delivery union has already carried out three strikes this year, each followed by government and political intervention and social agreements. Nevertheless, they are trying to enforce their demands by leveraging the year-end peak parcel volume. However, there will be no public sympathy for strikes rooted in outdated labor movement ideas that 'anything can be achieved through power and struggle.'" The parcel delivery union staged strikes in January, May, and September this year, demanding improvements in delivery workers’ treatment.

KEF particularly pointed out that the parcel delivery union is pursuing its own interests under the pretext of targeting specific individual companies, causing harm to public life and the national economy. KEF emphasized, "This strike will severely impact the lives of people who have become increasingly dependent on online procurement of daily necessities due to strengthened quarantine measures. Moreover, it poses a serious threat to the livelihoods of self-employed individuals who are barely surviving through online sales amid the near halt of offline sales caused by COVID-19."

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