Management, union should avoid catastrophe with dialogue
The trilateral agreement on preventing delivery workers' deaths from overwork is facing a crisis after just six days. The Parcel Delivery Workers' Solidarity Union said Wednesday that it would enter into an indefinite strike from Friday because the logistics companies have already abrogated the accord.
Suppose the strike at major logistics firms, such as CJ Logistics, Lotte Global and Hanjin Transportation becomes a reality in the run-up to the Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 12. In that case, it will inevitably cause a huge amount of chaos and consumer damage.
The union says that employers are unlikely to add more workers than what they agreed to last October or respond to workers' requests for talks, virtually breaking the agreement. Even if CJ hires 4,000 more workers as promised, 15 percent of its existing employees will still have to continue sorting parcels.
Lotte and Hanjin, both of which plan to add only 1,000 workers each, will see their share of employees sorting packages exceed 70 percent. However, these companies respond that they will hire workers exclusively responsible for sorting until they automate the process, and in the meantime offer reasonable payments to existing workers doing the job.
It is regrettable to see the labor conflict reignite less than a week after reaching an agreement of great social significance. They should use all ways and means to prevent a distribution catastrophe and keep the spirit of coexistence and compromise alive.
Above all, management should not neglect implementing the agreement citing its lack of binding power. The union, for its part, needs to reflect on the fact that it is demanding too much all at once. If the sides need additional talks, they should meet again to eliminate the embers of future conflict. We hope both sides will meet halfway by walking in each other's shoes to head off the worst-case scenario.