While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken an economic toll on many industries, online shopping and delivery services have thrived in this year of shuttered storefronts and social distancing.
In
"This year has been very tough," delivery worker Kim Do-gyun, 48, said as he made deliveries on his route northeast of
Couriers have been logging an average of over 71 hours per week during the COVID-19 era, according to a September survey by the
Stress and physical strain also has led to 16 deaths so far this year from overwork, known as gwarosa in Korean, a union for the drivers says.
The most recent death came this week, when a 34-year-old delivery worker in the city of
Long days such as these have become the norm for the more than 50,000 delivery workers in
Kim said he wakes up at
He usually finishes sorting
Profits have soared for
Only a tiny fraction of the couriers work for the major shipping companies directly; the rest are contract laborers for agencies that act as intermediaries. As such, they remain in a legal limbo without worker protections such as a 52-hour maximum workweek introduced by President
"The reason why they are working under conditions like this is because the companies do not hire them directly -- they are classified as special workers and do not fall under the Labor Standards Act," said
"The companies don't pay them hourly, and they are not protected by the law. So the [courier] companies are making more money, but the workers are not seeing the same benefits," he said.
Delivery drivers are paid by the parcel, a commission that has been squeezed this year by competition between the big courier companies, Kang said. It currently stands at around
The couriers have seen their sheer volume of packages delivered rise dramatically this year, according to the September survey. Before the pandemic, an average daily total of deliveries for a driver was 247. This year, it's been 313. On
However, drivers face a host of expenses that eat into their earnings. They must supply and maintain their own delivery trucks, as well as pay for everything from packing tape to waybills to the specialized delivery app they use. The couriers also don't receive any paid time off, and most are not covered by accident insurance.
As
"Most delivery workers used to work in another sector, but now we have nowhere else to go," Kim said. "We're at the end of the road."
Protests, strikes and news coverage has heightened awareness of the plight of the delivery drivers, and the public has responded with social media campaigns and gestures such as leaving thank-you notes and snacks for the couriers.
The government has also begun taking steps to improve the situation, passing legislation earlier this month that will offer unemployment benefits and accident insurance to gig workers beginning later in 2021.
This week, the
"Currently, anyone can establish a delivery service without restrictions, which limits the protection of delivery workers," Employment and Labor Minister
The shipping companies have announced a series of changes, including adopting flexible hours and adding manpower.
Kim, however, said he hasn't seen any difference yet in his daily routine.
"The companies have announced the solutions and they say they will take place, but I question whether they'll really happen," said Kim, who is active in the driver's labor union.
"I don't have any hope that things will change unless we fight," he said. "Because if we don't fight against this, nothing will change. Nothing will improve."
In the meantime, Kim said he fully expects there to be more injuries and more cases of gwarosa in the days and weeks ahead.
"I believe there will be more deaths," he said. "We need to work to live. It's ironic that people are dying from it."
Seo Jieun contributed to this report.
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