SEOUL, November 09 (AJP) - A heated controversy has erupted in South Korea over a proposal by some unionized delivery workers to ban "dawn delivery" services conducted between midnight and 5 a.m.
The dawn delivery market has boomed, growing from 400 billion won in 2015 to 11.8 trillion won ($8.9 billion) last year, predominantly serving fresh foods and perishable goods.
This rapid growth is driven not only by small business owners who rely on the service to receive ingredients for their daily operations, but also by working couples with little time to shop and households with young children, for whom the overnight convenience is essential.
The debate on the dawn delivery pits concerns over workers' health and safety against the economic impact on delivery drivers, e-commerce platforms, and small businesses.
The proposal was spurred by a recent spate of overwork-related deaths among night-shift delivery workers. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) argues that the convenience of early morning delivery comes at a deadly cost.
"The convenience of dawn delivery is maintained at the cost of workers' sleep, health, and lives," the KCTU said, emphasizing the health risks of working against the natural circadian rhythm.
They pointed out that the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies night work as a potential cause of cancer for humans, demanding restrictions as a minimum measure to protect workers' lives.
The proposal has met strong opposition from rival unions, e-commerce platforms, and the small business sector, who argue that the ban threatens economic stability.
The Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) rejected a total ban, stating, "Realistically, there are workers who must work to earn a living, and there are also consumer segments for whom dawn delivery is essential."
The union representing drivers for Coupang, the country's leading e-commerce platform, also criticized the move, noting that over 40 percent of their members are night-shift drivers and that attempts to curb their work threaten their job security.
Many drivers online echoed this sentiment, stressing that dawn shifts are often a voluntary choice providing higher pay, less traffic congestion, or essential flexibility for those working a second job.
The ban is also vehemently opposed by the Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (KFSB). They called it "a measure that threatens the survival of small business owners relying on online platforms for sales amid a sluggish domestic economy."
"Banning dawn deliveries is an attempt to collapse the small business ecosystem," the KFSB concluded.
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