'It is impossible to make ends meet'

While consumers are feeling the impact of rising delivery prices, delivery drivers say that their income has been decreasing. With eased social distancing polices and skyrocketed prices, the demand for delivery services has gone down, causing their income to decrease. “The wages given by delivery platforms haven’t changed but the number of delivery calls made by consumers has fallen,” said a member of the Rider Union, a labor union for delivery drivers.

Some workers in the delivery industry are saying that the business outlook has worsened as increased prices and interest rates forced consumers to tighten their purse strings. According to data released by a big data analysis company, the number of active users on delivery applications Baedal Minjok, Yohiyo and Coupang Eats on a monthly average is continuously decreasing after peaking at 35.32 million in March, when social distancing measures were lifted.

When the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases was at its peak, delivery drivers used to earn up to 5 million won ($3,600) a month. Now they say it’s hard to earn 2 million won.

“I worked 13 and a half hours to deliver food 53 times and only made 230,000 won during the Chuseok holidays,” wrote a delivery driver on an online community.

#back_to_normal
“We were willing to pay costly delivery fees during the pandemic. But now we don’t have to.”
“These days, I go to restaurants to take out what I order in person because of the high prices. We’re returning to normal now. Paying expensive delivery fees is not normal.”

#middle_man_issue
“Delivery platforms are taking the money. That’s why delivery drivers’ income is so small.”
“One man sows and another man reaps.”

#prices_need_to_be_balanced
“It is impossible to make ends meet unless they hike up delivery fees.”
“They need to take oil prices or something like that into account.”

BY KIM HA-YEONG, BY HAN HYE-RIM [han.hyerim1@joongang.co.kr]