Integrated Logistics Association: "Grounds for Courier Strike Disappear... Immediate Return to Work Required"

Ministry of Land's On-Site Check of Social Agreement Receives Sympathy
Delivery Workers' Union Expresses Regret Over "Some Issues" Raised

The National Courier Workers' Union Post Office Struggle Headquarters held a press conference on the 24th near the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, condemning the Korea Post for responding to demands for the implementation of social agreements with contract termination. / Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] The Korea Integrated Logistics Association stated on the 24th, “We believe the basis for the strike, claimed by the Delivery Workers' Union as a failure to fulfill the social agreement, has disappeared,” and “We demand that the Delivery Workers' Union immediately stop the strike and return to the field unconditionally.”

In a statement released that day, the association expressed agreement with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s evaluation that the social agreement is being “well implemented” based on on-site inspections regarding the deployment of delivery sorting personnel.

The Ministry explained that the first on-site inspection conducted on the implementation of the social agreement to prevent overwork of delivery workers, signed last year, confirmed that the agreement is being well implemented.

The association explained, “As the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated, the core issue of the social agreement is to reduce excessive working hours of delivery workers by deploying dedicated sorting personnel or, if it is realistically difficult to deploy separate personnel, to pay delivery workers accordingly while adjusting the total working hours to within 60 hours per week.”

Furthermore, the Korea Integrated Logistics Association emphasized, “Individual member companies will continue to invest in improving the treatment and working environment of delivery workers and cooperate to accelerate institutional improvements for the advancement of the delivery industry,” adding, “We will strive to find practical alternatives to enhance the proficiency of dedicated sorting personnel pointed out by the Ministry and to expand automation facilities such as wheel sorters.”

The association added, “In a situation where anxiety about the resurgence of COVID-19 due to the Omicron variant is increasing, an unjustified strike that exacerbates public suffering must be stopped immediately,” and “The association will work jointly with member companies to minimize consumer inconvenience.”

Meanwhile, the Delivery Workers' Union rebutted the Ministry’s investigation results. The union stated, “Even in the Ministry’s announcement, it was revealed that many workers started work before 9 a.m. despite sufficient deployment of dedicated sorting personnel,” and “This inspection result shows that despite the full implementation date of the social agreement having passed, there is almost no effect in reducing working hours.”

Additionally, the Delivery Workers' Union expressed strong regret, saying, “Despite various issues such as whether sorting costs are being properly paid, the Ministry announced as if delivery companies are well implementing the agreement and only some problems exist.”

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