Happy Refresh Day! Unless you are waiting for a package

Industry

Published: 12 Aug. 2020, 18:52

Happy Refresh Day! Unless you are waiting for a package

A CJ Logistics delivery person receives packaged food in celebration of package-free day Friday, intended to offer a rest to delivery people. [CJ LOGISTICS]

Friday has been declared a package-free day by some delivery companies, meaning that some orders placed this week will be delayed until early next week.

In July, the Korea Integrated Logistics Association announced the so-called Refresh Day. The idea is to give delivery workers a rest after so many days of working straight, especially during the pandemic.

Concern about the welfare of employees has increased as deaths from overwork have been reported.

Major logistics companies, including CJ Logistics, Hanjin Transportation and Lotte Global Logistics, are giving their workers a day off, meaning they will be free from Friday through Sunday.

Individual delivery workers from logistics companies usually work Monday through Saturday.

To celebrate the package-free day, CJ Logistics is offering packaged food, including samgyetang (traditional chicken soup with ginseng), to its 34,000 workers engaged in package delivery.

Retailers like Market Kurly and Coupang will be offering early morning delivery services on Friday as usual with their own distribution infrastructure.

“We have our own delivery logistics network and workers,” said Kim Soo-jin, a spokesperson for Market Kurly. “Our delivery people work five days a week, just like office workers. So the Refresh Day doesn’t apply to our early-morning delivery service providers.”

Coupang also said it will be business as usual on Refresh Day, but the e-commerce operator said it is airing a commercial that supports delivery workers. The commercial will be seen in subway stations and apartment elevators.

Refresh Day “will hopefully go beyond a one-day holiday and become a stepping stone to open up a discussion to create a more stable work environment for all delivery people,” Coupang said in a statement.

BGF Retailer, the operator of CU, will be offering some delivery services on Friday using its own distribution network. On that day, a package from one CU store can be sent to another CU store.

BY JIN MIN-JI [jin.minji@joongang.co.kr]