Commentary: Assured next-day deliveries in South Korea are coming at a heavy value

SEOUL: In South Korea, when you join Coupang’s Rocket Wow service, you possibly can order contemporary meals within the night, and have it seem in your doorstep early the next morning, in a smart-looking cooler, saved with ice packs to maintain it cool.

This comfort supplied by most meals supply corporations extends to on-line purchasing and shopper items, from electronics to clothes, the place the buyer is king.

In actual fact, when you determine to return one thing you’ve purchased, you can even merely go away it on that very same doorstep for assortment.

In a rustic the place many individuals work or research lengthy hours and sleep lower than the worldwide common, such a service is usually a big time saver. And the membership price is only a few US {dollars} per 30 days.

Rocket Wow, together with providers by competing corporations within the supply market, has gained big recognition for saving thousands and thousands of South Korea numerous journeys to the shop and has been a nationwide boon. 

In the course of the coronavirus pandemic, it has made it simpler to keep away from public locations and cut back the danger of COVID-19 spreading.

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The supply market is booming. The variety of parcel deliveries nationwide has almost doubled since 2012 as extra individuals grow to be accustomed to on-line commerce and supply corporations compete to supply quicker and cheaper providers, in accordance with authorities information.

Nonetheless, when you ask labour advocates, staff are actually dying to supply this service.

A NATIONAL SOUL-SEARCHING

This yr labour advocates teams have stated that not less than 14 supply males have died because of excessively strenuous work.

Some collapsed on the job, with advocates claiming the strain to ship big numbers of parcels in accordance with a strict schedule have prompted bodily exertion and cardiovascular stress that resulted in these deaths.

For now, the state forensic company has discovered no causal hyperlink between the deaths, following autopsies, and concluded among the deceased had underlying well being situations.

The information has however touched a uncooked nerve in South Korean society, the place the plight of low-wage staff has come underneath the general public highlight lately.

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The distinction couldn’t be higher, seeing that the nation has simply loved one other record-breaking Chuseok vacation sale in September, with on-line transactions that month totaling 14.72 trillion gained (US$12.9 billion), up 30 per cent in comparison with final yr.

Alongside all this comfort, these extremely publicised deaths are making extra conscious of the human toll of the system. When perishable objects like groceries are assured to reach by morning, individuals are being sensitised to the fact that these little conveniences require drivers and packers to toil in a single day.

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LACK OF JOB OPTIONS

Amid a nationwide soul-searching, some have requested, if these jobs are so unhealthy, why don’t the drivers merely give up and go do one thing else?

However there are few higher choices on the market for jobseekers with restricted training and abilities than these roles, which pay about 2 to three million gained (US$2,000 to US$3,000). With households to feed, quitting and ready round till one thing higher comes alongside isn’t an possibility.

It has lengthy been the case on this nation that when you don’t excel at college or have household connections, there are few paths to well-paid employment, and that’s solely extra so now.

Whereas the South Korean economic system has absorbed the shock of the coronavirus pandemic higher than most different developed nations, the job market remains to be in a dire state, with the nation shedding jobs each month since March, when the results of lowered consumption as a result of coronavirus pandemic started to take impact.

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The job losses are mounting, without end. In line with the nationwide statistics company, as of October, there have been 421,000 fewer employed individuals within the nation than in the identical month final yr.

THE SCOURGE OF CONTRACT DELIVERY WORK

For all their arduous work, supply drivers earn low wages, with 12-hour workdays, six days per week. 

They typically work on contracts, as a substitute of being straight employed by the corporations they work for, which means they don’t seem to be entitled to medical health insurance or paid sick go away and fall exterior the remit of labour legal guidelines.

As a substitute of incomes regular salaries, they’re paid per supply. Their work schedule is decided by algorithms, that, drivers say, don’t account for the potential of visitors jams or different delays they will do nothing to forestall, which means they find yourself having to scramble to make deliveries on time.

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Firms can afford to pay drivers extra however don’t. CJ Logistics, one among South Korea’s largest, introduced this week that within the third quarter of this yr, the corporate turned a revenue of US$42.2 million, up greater than 265 % from final yr.

The current deaths have drawn uncommon consideration to the plight of drivers, with tales of individuals hanging indicators on the door with messages of encouragement for supply drivers, telling them to not hurry an excessive amount of, that it’s okay if a supply is late.

Whereas such feel-good tales are good to listen to, there is no such thing as a manner of figuring out if these current deaths will result in any sort of sustained change.

It was not that way back that drivers from the main supply corporations and the nationwide postal service gave supply staff a day of relaxation in August when a moratorium was declared on deliveries.

The intention was to exhibit appreciation for deliverers and recognise their arduous work. But, no vital industrial, coverage or legislative modifications occurred within the aftermath.

Although politicians are at the moment discussing laws holding corporations liable if a employee dies whereas on the job, South Korea’s ingrained tradition of comfort additionally wants a superb arduous look.

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The present observe of low-cost, assured next-day deliveries sends the fallacious message to clients that they will get pleasure from each freshness and comfort, and that prime high quality merchandise can arrive at their doorsteps rapidly and inexpensively.

In a rising, profitable market the place a number of massive gamers dominate, a race to the underside to supply the most affordable providers will see supply staff left with out a lot recourse.

However it’s the accountability of those supply corporations to extra totally recognise the worth of the bodily work that makes what they do potential, and improve staff’ wages and advantages, whereas additionally in accordance them full employment standing as a substitute of stringing them alongside as unbiased contractors.

In the meantime, as customers, we should always all be extra conscious of the human value of our comfort.

We might do properly to keep in mind that each bundle that seems on the doorstep was positioned there by a pair of human palms.

Steven Borowiec is the politics editor of Korea Expose.