Courier Union Demands Implementation of Social Agreement to Prevent Deaths from Overwork: "Unable to Escape Sorting Tasks"

CJ Logistics "Implementing Social Agreement... Regret Baseless Claims"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The National Courier Labor Union, which has launched an indefinite strike demanding the implementation of a social agreement to prevent courier workers' overwork, claimed that courier workers are still unable to escape from sorting tasks.

On the 4th, the Courier Union held a press conference in front of the CJ Logistics headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, and announced the results of a survey checking whether measures to exclude courier workers from sorting tasks for CJ Logistics courier workers are being properly implemented.

According to the union, they sent text messages containing an online survey link to about 16,000 CJ Logistics couriers and received responses from 958 people. Among the respondents, 64% answered that "individual sorting work is not being done."

The union stated, "Yesterday should have been recorded as a historic first day when courier workers were freed from sorting tasks, which are the main cause of death from overwork and unpaid labor, but the reality was not so." They added, "There were even responses saying that courier workers are sharing the labor costs for sorting."

They continued, "Why is there such a severe shortage of sorting personnel and insufficient sorting time when courier fees, which have been difficult to raise by even 10 won for decades, were raised by as much as 270 won?" and "We strongly condemn CJ Logistics, which is solely focused on profit-seeking." They also held a general strike rally in front of the CJ Group headquarters.

CJ Logistics issued a statement regarding the press conference, saying, "Since the beginning of the new year, the company has been implementing the social agreement most exemplary in the industry by deploying more than 5,500 sorting support personnel so that courier workers do not perform sorting tasks."

They added, "The implementation of social agreement measures, including the deployment of sorting personnel, is reported to the government and is being inspected," and expressed "deep regret over the continuous distortion of facts and baseless claims." They also requested the union to "stop the unjustified strike that holds consumer goods hostage and join in overcoming COVID-19 and restoring the daily lives of the people."

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