Following Hanjin Express, CJ Logistics also announced a general strike from the 27th

Input 2021.02.25 14:04

Hanjin (002320)The courier labor union has entered into an indefinite general strike since the 23rd, arguing for unfair dismissal of courier drivers. CJ Logistics (000120)The parcel delivery union also had a conflict with the agency and announced a general strike across the country on the 27th, starting in the Gyeongnam area on the 25th.

As the courier union strikes one after another, over 3,000 CJ ​​Logistics couriers in Changnyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do have been tied up over the past two days. Some point out that the union is using customer delivery as a’strike weapon’.

According to the parcel delivery industry, the labor union of Hanjin Express has entered into an indefinite strike since the 23rd, claiming that “four members of the North Gimcheon agency were collectively fired.” In the process of being divided into the Gimcheon agency into North Gimcheon and Nam Gimcheon, the union claimed that the new director gathered members into one agency and then tried to reduce the workforce, and that the union members dismissed it after opposing it.

In the strike, 280 union members from 7 regions including Gwangju City, Icheon City, Seongnam City, Goyang City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Gyeongnam Geoje, Gyeongbuk Gimcheon, and Ulsan Metropolitan City participated in the strike. The strike is proceeding in a way that union members go to work at a fixed time but do not deliver courier services.

Accordingly, Hanjin’s side took measures to “prohibit temporary collection” in areas where the strike is underway. An official from Hanjin said, “The union is striking customer products as hostage, so it has been taken to minimize damage to customers,” he said. “We are sending goods to an alternative terminal without picking up parcels at the terminal in the strike area.”

It refuted the union’s allegations of unfair dismissal. Hanjin said, “The manager of the existing Gimcheon agency informed me of his intention to abandon the contract for health reasons, and the company made a contract with a new agency through open recruitment.” He also tried to sign a contract, but refused individual interviews and demanded excessive conditions, so the contract between the new agency manager and the driver was not achieved.”

He said, “Under the Subcontract Act, the company cannot directly participate in the negotiations between the agency and the delivery company, which is an independent business, but we will try to resolve the conflict between the two sides smoothly and minimize customer inconvenience caused by strikes.”

The strike is also spreading nationwide in CJ Logistics. The Changnyeong branch of CJ Logistics’ parcel delivery union started a strike from the 23rd on the grounds that the local agency did not renew contracts with two parcel delivery drivers. In the last two days after the strike began, more than 3,000 units had not been delivered, so on the morning of that day, customers came to the terminal to pick up the package themselves.

From this day on, about 800 of the 1,200 union members in the Yeongnam region are expected to join the strike. The union notified that if the management and the agency did not come up with an alternative, it would go on a national strike from the 27th.

The conflict between CJ Logistics agencies and courier members is worsening. The union argued that “the manager of the agency swears to the courier driver and notified him of dismissal,” but the agency countered that “it is a legal management judgment not to re-contract with some drivers with poor attitudes after the contract expires.” An official from the agency association of CJ Logistics said, “The reason the agency did not re-contract with the courier is because there were many complaints about the damage to the customer’s courier, and the trust relationship was broken, such as poor attendance.”

As the number of parcels tied to sub-terminals in Gyeongju, Gyeongnam, Gimhae, and Geoje from this day increased, some are pointing out that parcel service unions are using customer parcels as a strike weapon. One CJ Logistics courier who is not affiliated with the union said, “If delivery is delayed due to a strike and customer dissatisfaction increases, the likelihood of customer churn increases, which in turn hurts drivers as well. Some union members take out strike cards too often.”