Highlight promotions, distance surcharges, etc.
Call for a fixed wage system
Careful discussion is required on the management side
Coupang Eats delivery riders decided to go on strike to stop deliveries on the 24th, when the Korean national football team will host the first match of the World Cup in Qatar.
On the 23rd, the ‘Coupang Eats Joint Negotiation Group’, which includes the Rider Union and the Delivery Platform Union of the KCTU Service Federation, held a press conference in front of the Coupang Eats headquarters in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and said, ” We are holding an intense strike on the 24th, and Coupang Eats is ‘signing off’ for the self-employed and consumers. We will appeal,” he said.
The negotiating group explained that they have decided to go on strike, saying that Coupang Eats is consistent with a good faith attitude in response to the demand for an adequate delivery fee guarantee. Last year, Coupang Eats reduced the delivery fee from 3,100 won to 2,500 won per delivery and applied a distance surcharge instead. The discussion group said, “No one will agree to pay 6,000 earned to the self-employed in the name of delivery fee, of which only 2,500 earned is paid to riders.”
On the 24th, Coupang Eats criticized the promotion of the delivery fee surcharge as a ‘trick to lower the strike power’. Coupang Eats increased the ‘extra charge peak time’, which was originally from 5:00 pm to 7:59 pm, to 5:00 pm to 1:59 am the next day in line with the football match time.
Insurance and distance surcharges were also on the chopping board. The negotiating group said, “Coupang Itz said it was introducing hourly insurance by agreement with the negotiating team, but it was left to the rider’s choice. Coupang Eats is the only company that operates without commercial transport insurance checks, and there is no insurance for bicycle and electric kickboard workers.” Regarding the distance surcharge that Coupang Eats introduced for the benefit of long-distance delivery, he said, “As a result of the confirmation of the negotiating group, the surcharge for all distances was tied to the upper limit of 1,750 won, regardless of whether it was. 10 km or 8 km.”
Cyclists are going on strike on the 24th by logging out of the Coupang Eats app. It means they will use other platforms without accepting work through Coupang Eats.
An official from Coupang Eats said, “The increase in delivery fees is an issue that can put a heavy burden not only on customers but also on self-employed restaurant owners, so a careful discussion is needed.”
