[비즈한국] It has been two months since CJ Logistics000120 began its 7-day delivery service. CJ Logistics explains that since the start of Sunday deliveries, weekend volume has shown an upward trend and that positive feedback is being received from its corporate clients. On the other hand, there are complaints from delivery drivers that the 5-day work week promised by the company has not taken root, leading to continued confusion in the field.
Voices from the field: “Working conditions are worse than when we worked 6 days a week”
Last January, CJ Logistics introduced a 7-day delivery system, operating without breaks on Sundays and public holidays. Until then, logistics companies, with the exception of Coupang, operated on a 6-day delivery system with no work on Sundays and public holidays. A CJ Logistics official stated, “Clients in sectors like fashion, food, and home shopping are responding very positively to Sunday deliveries. As a result, the volume of Sunday deliveries is gradually increasing.”
Following CJ Logistics' move to 7-day delivery, other companies like Hanjin002320 and Lotte Global Logistics have also rushed to consider 7-day delivery. An industry insider noted, “Typically, when CJ Logistics initiates a new service, other delivery companies follow suit. Other companies feel they have no choice but to start 7-day delivery to avoid losing market share. However, they are struggling because it is difficult to implement immediately due to volume and infrastructure constraints. How CJ Logistics manages to stabilize its 7-day delivery is the biggest concern in the industry.”
The success of CJ Logistics' 7-day delivery system is tied to the 5-day work week for drivers. To address potential driver burnout from the 7-day delivery model, CJ Logistics announced the introduction of a 5-day work week for its delivery personnel. The 5-day work week is a system that drivers have long requested to ensure their right to rest. CJ Logistics promised a “5-day work week with no loss in income” to ensure the 7-day delivery service would not burden the drivers.
Despite the introduction of the 5-day work week, the reaction from the field is cold. One delivery driver remarked, “We were told that while we would work Sundays, conditions would be created for a 5-day work week, but at this point, people are saying that implementing it is impossible. In fact, there are growing complaints that working conditions have deteriorated compared to when we worked 6 days a week. At agencies operating in 3- or 4-person groups, drivers can at least get one day off a week, but there are many agencies where drivers only get a day off once every two weeks.”
To implement the 5-day work week, CJ Logistics changed how the driver’s app functions last month, effectively blocking access to delivery menus on the 7th day if a driver has worked 6 consecutive days. CJ Logistics originally planned to implement this app block in February, but withdrew it because many agencies were unable to implement the 5-day work week. According to BizHankook's investigation, the company recently decided to relax the criteria, shifting to a block only after 8 days of consecutive work.
A delivery driver identified as A pointed out, “If they tried to block the app on the 6th day after 5 days of work in the current situation, it would be chaotic. The delivery system wouldn't function. CJ Logistics knows this, which is why they are changing the criteria. Allowing 7 consecutive days of work while claiming to implement a 5-day work week is effectively an admission that they have given up on the 5-day system.”
CJ Logistics explained that this measure takes into account the rotating work schedules of delivery drivers. An official from CJ Logistics stated, “If we block consecutive work after 6 days, it becomes difficult for drivers to get two consecutive days off unless their days off are fixed every week. We adjusted the consecutive work period to 7 days to prevent this. We made this change so that drivers can maintain a 5-day work week while still being guaranteed two consecutive days off. It is not because the 5-day work week system is failing.”
Concerns over driver turnover to Coupang
There are also concerns that if the 5-day work week does not properly take root, it may lead to an exodus of delivery drivers. One driver shared, “CJ Logistics had the advantage of allowing us to rest on holidays agreed upon by the union and the company (Lunar New Year, Chuseok, 'No Delivery Day', Liberation Day) and Sundays. This was considered a major merit that set CJ Logistics apart from Coupang. It is the reason why many drivers remained with CJ Logistics instead of moving to Coupang. Now that we have to work Sundays, hasn't that advantage disappeared? That is why there has been growing talk of resignation among drivers since the introduction of 7-day delivery.”
At the end of last year, CJ Logistics reached a tentative agreement with the courier union and the agency association regarding 7-day delivery, planning to finalize the collective agreement in March after a two-month trial period. Negotiations for the final agreement are currently ongoing.
A representative for the courier union explained, “Discussions are underway, but the atmosphere is somewhat dragging on. We are currently at the stage of discussing how to deploy substitute personnel to ensure stable operations for the 7-day delivery service. Some agencies are complaining that the parent company (CJ Logistics) lacks the will to provide the substitute personnel necessary for a 5-day work week. They also point out that the additional commission for weekend work is too low to incentivize drivers.”
A CJ Logistics official stated, “We are providing support, such as coordinating with small agencies to group them with neighboring agencies to implement the 5-day work week. Since each agency has a different scale and situation, it takes time to coordinate. It is difficult to introduce the 5-day work week all at once, so our stance is to promote and expand it in stages. As volume increases, the environment becomes more conducive to stabilizing the system, so the company is strengthening sales efforts to increase Sunday volume. CJ Logistics is committed to creating systems to improve driver welfare and is determined to see them take root.”