"Parcel Delivery Strike Exceeds 60 Days"... Conflict Continues Without Narrowing Differences

Failed to Find Common Ground in Talks on the 25th

The Delivery Workers' Union held the "2022 National Delivery Workers' Rally" on the 21st at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul, urging CJ Logistics to implement the social agreement and accept dialogue. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Nationwide Courier Workers' Union (Courier Union) and the CJ Logistics Courier Agency Association have entered negotiations to resolve a strike that has lasted over 60 days but failed to reach an agreement. Although the union stated that the strike is suspended rather than broken off, the ongoing differences between both sides suggest that the strike is likely to continue.

According to industry sources on the 27th, the Courier Union and the Agency Association attempted to reach an agreement on the 25th but were unsuccessful. Both parties continued negotiations over the existence of the standard contract annex and the clause prohibiting interference with substitute deliveries. However, they ultimately failed to narrow their differences. The talks began on the 23rd but did not result in an agreement.

After declaring the final breakdown of negotiations, the Agency Association stated in a press release, "The Courier Union refused even reasonable demands aimed at normalizing public service," adding, "It is now inevitable to apply a zero-tolerance principle according to laws and contracts." They further explained, "During the recent three days of talks, the Courier Union continuously added unacceptable demands such as employment guarantees and withdrawal of all civil and criminal lawsuits from all stakeholders."

They also claimed that the union demanded conditions that would prevent contract termination even if illegal acts were committed. The Association said, "Although courier workers as sole proprietors are guaranteed six-year contracts under the Living Logistics Act, the union is demanding even stronger protections," adding, "Such provisions are unacceptable."

In particular, the union reportedly opposed the Agency Association's assertion that legal substitute deliveries should not be obstructed. The Association explained, "To prevent service disruptions disguised as labor disputes, which cause public inconvenience and harm small business owners, legal substitute deliveries must not be obstructed," adding, "We requested legal measures, but if union members reject them simply because their income decreases or they dislike it, what kind of dialogue can we have?"

The union also held a press conference in front of the Blue House on the 25th, stating, "We submitted concessions such as 'returning to the annex agreement before further discussion' to reach a settlement, but the Agency Association demanded conditions unacceptable to the union, including a complete halt to strike actions and substitute delivery conditions, making dialogue impossible."

They added, "If agency managers perform substitute deliveries, they would lose their own profits, so wouldn't both sides suffer losses?" and "If substitute deliveries are allowed, the biggest beneficiary would be the principal company, CJ Logistics." They further stated, "It can be seen that CJ Logistics effectively intervened in this dialogue to halt it."

However, the Courier Union explained that negotiations have not completely broken down.

Despite this, with the strike exceeding 60 days, talks between both sides remain suspended. Moreover, since the Courier Union is still illegally occupying the CJ Logistics headquarters, the conflict is expected to continue. The Agency Association reiterated, "The Courier Union refused even reasonable demands aimed at normalizing public service," adding, "It is now inevitable to apply a zero-tolerance principle according to laws and contracts." They also said, "During these talks, we felt that the Courier Union's purpose was to involve the principal company rather than resolve the conflict."

Meanwhile, on the previous day, Jin Kyung-ho, chairman of the KCTU Nationwide Courier Workers' Union, was transferred to a hospital. His health deteriorated while continuing a hunger strike in a protest tent in front of the CJ Logistics headquarters.

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