On the 8th, the daytime high temperature soared to 35 degrees Celsius.
"The weather today is unprecedented?this is really serious."
In the office, people voiced their concerns about the heatwave.
A logistics camp in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.
Worked as a 'helper (short-term worker)' and directly experienced the reality of labor in the heatwave.
The center had a notice saying "Consume enough glucose and water."
Helpers were provided with cool packs and ion drinks called heatwave kits.
The kit is a defense line against the heatwave.
The manager said, "Yesterday, someone collapsed due to dehydration,"
"Make sure to drink plenty of water," he repeatedly emphasized.
As soon as the 10 a.m. stretching and safety training ended, assignments were given out immediately.
The task was unloading goods.
As I had heard, it truly seemed to be the epitome of hard labor.
I had to continuously lift delivery boxes from pallets stacked higher than an adult man's height onto the conveyor belt without pause.
The conveyor belt never stopped, and heavy sacks of rice, soil, and bundles of beverages kept coming one after another.
As soon as one pallet was emptied, a new one arrived, leaving no time for rest.
As I repeatedly bent down, lifted, and raised, cold sweat ran down my back.
After just 30 minutes of work, my entire body was drenched in sweat.
After about an hour, I began to feel pain in my arms and lower back.
Everyone was moving busily, so there was not even a moment to say, "Excuse me."
A coworker said with a wry smile, "Last year, I lost 10 kilograms in just one month doing unloading work."
Large fans and ceiling fans were running in the workshop.
However, there was no air conditioning, so the heat was overwhelming. Photo by Yonhap News
As time went by, my hands became numb and even the soles of my feet felt sticky.
The heat trapped inside my work clothes rose up along my back.
At 11:40 a.m., we were finally given a break.
It was the only 30 minutes allowed during the entire 5-hour shift.
The appearance of being drenched in sweat all over the body while working at the logistics center. Photo by Youngchan Choi.
원본보기 아이콘After the short break, the helpers lined up and headed back to the worksite.
Until the end of the shift at 3 p.m., we had to work without any official break time.
Although it was possible to go get a drink of water during work, no one could afford to truly rest.
Mr. Kim (27), who came to earn some pocket money after finishing the CPA exam,
"I've worked part-time before, but I've never experienced a day this hot," he said.
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At 2:55 p.m., with just five minutes left until the end of the shift, the work was still not finished.
The manager's voice came over the workshop speakers: "Please set up the rolltainers (RT)."
An RT is a movable steel rack used for stacking packages in the logistics center.
Sorting staff transfer the sorted boxes to the RT, and when it is full, it is moved in front of the truck.
Even right up until the end of the shift, the volume of packages never stopped.
Faces were weary from the heat, heads throbbed, and the weight of the labor lingered in our backs and arms.
Although the company says it is expanding cooling facilities at logistics centers nationwide, workers on site still feel that it is insufficient.
According to the temperature logbook obtained by Asia Economy,
on July 10, the temperature in the Yeoju Center worksite reached a high of 32.9 degrees Celsius.
On the same day, the Dongtan Center soared to 33.4 degrees Celsius as of 10:30 a.m.
The more the companies operating parcel delivery services say that they cannot delay deliveries,
the greater the intensity of labor for the helpers becomes.
Consumers can conveniently place orders through applications (apps),
but that convenience is made possible by the sweat of the workers.
Amid the heatwave warning, an employee is working shirtless while loading at a logistics center. Photo by Yonhap News
원본보기 아이콘The right to rest for those working in the heatwave
should also be protected, along with that convenience.
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Edit Maeng Jiae mjiae@asiae.co.kr
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Reporter Choi Youngchan elach1@asiae.co.kr
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
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