Strike Temporarily Settled by Delivery Workers' Union... 'Same-Day Delivery and Six-Day Workweek' Pose Challenges Everywhere

Complete the supplementary agreement by June
Differences in stance widen, conflict remains
Disagreement over negotiation channels
Self-employed and consumers welcome the end

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungseon Gong and Sehee Jang] The nationwide strike by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Courier Workers' Union, which lasted for over two months, has come to an end for now, but the sparks of conflict remain.

The Courier Workers' Union and the Franchisee Association plan to finalize the annex agreement to the standard contract by June 30, but their positions still differ. The annex agreement was one of the direct causes of this strike.

Since last year, the Courier Workers' Union has insisted that provisions such as same-day delivery and six-day workweeks should not be included in the annex agreement, and reaffirmed this stance even after the strike ended. On the other hand, CJ Logistics has countered that it guarantees work within 60 hours per week and has already received approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Franchisee Association has only expressed a general intention to negotiate through dialogue.

The Courier Workers' Union and courier workers want to negotiate with CJ Logistics rather than the Franchisee Association, which is their direct employer, but CJ Logistics did not engage in direct talks with the union during this strike either. It is difficult to build trust between labor and management, and conflicts are likely to recur at any time.

The Courier Workers' Union strike began on December 28 last year and lasted 64 days until February 2, involving occupation of the headquarters, physical clashes, and extreme situations such as the union leader’s hunger strike. Union leader Jin Kyungho was hospitalized after six days of fasting. The union lifted the occupation of CJ Logistics headquarters and ended the strike on February 2 after discussions with the Franchisee Association. On February 3 at 1 p.m., all striking members will attend branch meetings to conduct on-site votes regarding the agreement.

Self-employed individuals and consumers who suffered from delivery delays have welcomed the end of the strike. Kim (55), who runs a side dish store in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, said, "The delivery of various ingredients like salted cabbage and carrots was delayed, so I had to reduce the variety of side dishes," adding, "If courier delivery returns to normal, sales are expected to increase slightly."

Choi (31), who usually enjoys online shopping, said, "Due to the courier strike, I risked COVID-19 infection by going to the supermarket, which made me uncomfortable," and added, "I plan to purchase all daily necessities online again." Mr. Jang, in his 60s, said, "Isn't there a risk of illegal occupation and violent acts recurring during the process of drafting the agreement?" and added, "Since the entire public suffers inconvenience, the government should carefully monitor the situation."

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