Delivery Workers: "Waiting Time Counts as Work Time… We Demand Minimum Wage Guarantee"
Delivery workers (riders), who are not recognized as employees under the Labor Standards Act, have demanded a guarantee of minimum wage.
On the 9th, the Delivery Platform Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a press conference in front of the Government Seoul Complex, calling for the 'Expansion of Minimum Wage Application for Delivery Workers.'
On this day, the Delivery Platform Union proposed a system where delivery workers, who are supervised by platform companies such as Baedal Minjok and Coupang, would measure their waiting and operational times to ascertain their actual working hours and receive minimum wage guarantees accordingly.
This system calculates the waiting time and actual delivery time at an hourly rate, and if it falls below the minimum wage of KRW 10,030, the platform companies would be required to pay the difference. During this process, essential costs related to delivery work, such as fuel expenses and social insurance premiums, should be covered separately by the platform companies.
In this regard, there is a need for discussions on whether to apply the existing minimum wage to delivery workers or establish a separate appropriate wage. However, this discussion can only advance if delivery workers are recognized as employees under the Labor Standards Act.
Union: "Delivery Workers Left Outside the Law Should Be Paid Wages, Not Per Delivery Fees"
Hong Chang-ui, chair of the Delivery Platform Union, stated, "The government and the Minimum Wage Committee continue to leave delivery workers outside the law," adding, "They are working long hours without proper protection of various insurance premiums and national pension."
He further emphasized, "When including the costs of maintaining transportation, insurance, and platform fees, the actual income of delivery riders is far below the minimum wage," asserting, "We must pay wages, not per delivery fees, reflecting actual working hours and costs."
The background to these claims is related to President Lee Jae-myung's actions during his presidential campaign.
During his campaign, President Lee mentioned the need for a 'minimum wage system' when meeting with delivery riders and parcel delivery drivers.
He also promised to introduce a 'presumption of employee status' for workers under the supervision of users, to prioritize recognizing them as employees. The labor community views this promise as a stepping stone for the expansion of minimum wage application.
Previously, members of the KCTU Public Transport Union staged a performance in front of the 'Lee Jae-myung Democratic Party Presidential Candidate Camp' during the 21st presidential election, highlighting that the minimum wage increase for 2025 is only KRW 170.
Meanwhile, today (10th) at noon, the 4th plenary meeting of the Minimum Wage Committee, which had been halted for ten days due to the 21st presidential election, will be held. The expansion of minimum wage application for delivery workers is expected to be addressed in this meeting.
Image Source: On the 9th, officials from the Service Alliance Delivery Platform Union held a press conference to call for the expansion of minimum wage application for delivery workers in front of the Government Seoul Complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul. / News1, a delivery worker picking up food / News1, President Lee Jae-myung (then the Democratic Party presidential candidate) eating beef bone soup ordered through the public delivery app 'Gyeonggi Province Delivery Express.' News1, on the 20th of last month, members of the KCTU Public Transport Union staged a performance delivering 170 KRW, the minimum wage increase for 2025, at a press conference calling for the dissolution of the Yoon Seok-yeol Minimum Wage Committee and a substantial increase and expansion of the minimum wage application in front of Lee Jae-myung's Democratic Party presidential candidate camp in Yeouido, Seoul. / News1
