Photo: Yonhap News
Thousands of delivery workers are threatening to stop sorting packages in protest of the overwork they face ahead of the Chuseok holiday.
A civic advocacy group associated with the progressive Korean Confederation of Trade Unions said on Thursday that the delivery workers will refuse to do sorting work from Monday unless their demand for additional manpower is met.
"Sorting parcels is the primary reason for their long working hours," the group said during a press conference at the KCTU headquarters in Seoul, explaining that they labor 13-16 hours a day, half of which is spent sorting packages with no extra pay.
Earlier this week, more than 4,300 workers participated in a vote and over 95 percent agreed to reject sorting parcels.
The number of workers expected to join the planned protest represents about one-tenth of the total 40,000 nationwide, meaning some delivery disruptions will be inevitable.
The civic group said the workers "feel regret to cause concerns," but stressed they seek public understanding as no one should die from overwork while delivery companies "sit on their hands" instead of coming up with practical measures.
Seven parcel delivery workers have died from overwork so far this year, as online shopping and parcel volumes surged amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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