Will There Be a World Cup Without 'Chimaek'? Concerns Over Delivery Disruptions for Uruguay Match

Coupang Eats Delivery Workers Announce Strike on 24th... Demand Increase of Base Delivery Fee to 4,000 Won
Self-Employed Express Concern Over Missing Peak Season... Limited Support for Union Membership Restrictions

Chicken and beer. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] On the 24th, the day of South Korea's first match in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, some delivery riders announced a strike. Since the World Cup is considered the peak season for the chicken industry, there are concerns among self-employed business owners that this strike might cause them to miss out on a major sales opportunity. Among citizens, there are also talks about whether they will have to watch the games without chicken and beer (chimaek), with some suggesting visiting nearby pubs to take out chimaek.

The 'Coupang Eats Joint Negotiation Team' (Joint Negotiation Team), composed of the Rider Union and the Delivery Platform Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions Service Federation, announced on the morning of the 23rd that they will hold a press conference in front of Coupang Eats headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to declare the start of the World Cup strike.

The Joint Negotiation Team stated, "Coupang Eats is running a World Cup promotion in response to the delivery workers' strike," and added, "The union is not asking for high earnings through short-term promotions but demands the establishment of a stable income system," further asserting, "The basic delivery fee, which was cut to fund the promotion, must be increased."

They continued, "Coupang Eats has created a disguised subcontracting-type middle management system called 'Coupang Eats Flex,'" explaining, "They have established local delivery agencies that deliver on behalf of Coupang Eats and manage riders while issuing work instructions through the Coupang Eats app. They should stop these tricks and accept the demands of the Joint Negotiation Team."

The Joint Negotiation Team is demanding from Coupang Eats △ an increase in the basic delivery fee (from the existing 2,500 won to 4,000 won) △ distance surcharges △ support for commercial insurance premiums △ provision of holiday bonuses. After signing a basic agreement on September 21 last year, the Joint Negotiation Team entered into a collective agreement with Coupang Eats, but they went on strike, claiming that the company has not submitted a negotiation proposal.

This strike has raised concerns among self-employed business owners about missing the World Cup sales peak. The World Cup season is a peak period in the chicken industry. During the 2018 Russia World Cup, immediately after South Korea's first match in the finals, BBQ's sales increased by about 110% compared to the previous week, Kyochon Chicken's by 60%, and bhc's by 80%. Additionally, during the 2019 U-20 World Cup season, the sales of the three companies rose by about 40% compared to usual.

Moreover, since the Korean national team's group stage matches in this World Cup are scheduled late at night (November 24 and 28 at 10 PM) and at midnight (December 3), it is expected that more citizens will watch the games at home rather than cheering on the streets, likely leading to a surge in chicken orders.

Given this situation, on the online cafe 'Because It's Painful, I'm a Boss,' a community for self-employed business owners, anxious comments such as "Why strike coinciding with the Uruguay match?" "How much impact do you think the strike will have?" and "How will Coupang handle dispatching?" have been posted.

Among citizens, posts have also appeared mainly on online communities expressing concerns about having to watch the World Cup games with chimaek, and what to do if the strike prevents them from getting chimaek. One netizen even posted, "I think I'll have to visit a nearby pub to take out."

However, within the industry, there is also speculation that the impact of this strike on Coupang Eats may not be significant, as the composition of Coupang Eats delivery riders is diverse and the union membership rate is limited.

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