15 courier workers died this year.
As non-face-to-face contact has become common in the aftermath of Corona 19, the parcel delivery industry is rapidly growing. What in the world drives the courier workers to death?
On the 20th of last month, a 50-year-old courier who was working at the OO branch of Rosen Courier was found dead.
Before he died, he left three handwritten wills to his colleagues.
The will, which began with the words'I'm regrettable', contained resentment for the poor working environment and unfair contracts.
Jang Deok-joon, a 27-year-old who worked at the Coupang Gyeongbuk Logistics Center, was found dead in his home bathroom on the 12th of last month after finishing sorting work at night.
The bereaved family reported that Jang, who was healthy, had lost 15 kg of weight after starting work, and that he had unprecedented knee pain and chest pain.
As a result of checking the work log, I worked overtime for 25 days a month and 59 hours for seven consecutive days.
It is a reality that most of the courier drivers come to work early in the morning and sort through the laborious delivery work until late at night.
The domestic parcel delivery market is showing a growth rate of nearly 10% every year.
However, the price of couriers is decreasing every year amid excessive competition among companies.
In developed countries, shipping rates are three or four times higher than ours.
Courier workers are left in the blind spots of the labor law.
Parcel delivery technicians who are classified as special employment and signed contracts in the form of private businesses are being pushed to their limits without being protected by the Labor Standards Act.
Experts say it is urgent to improve the unfair contracts and poor working conditions of courier drivers.
This week's <News Story> will focus on what are the structural problems that drive courier workers to death, and why the social safety net, such as the Labor Standards Act, does not reach the parcel delivery industry.