The government said Thursday that it would work to ensure shorter working hours for delivery workers following a recent series of courier deaths, allegedly from overwork, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Labor Ministry and the Transport Ministry announced in a joint press briefing that the government will consult with logistics companies, push for legislative revisions and introduce improved workplace guidelines to protect couriers.

“A limit to quantitative growth (of the e-commerce and logistics industry) has surfaced as seen from the death of 10 parcel delivery workers this year,” said Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap during the briefing.

“This is because policy, infrastructure and technology could not keep up with the pace of growth for the delivery industry, and that burden was concentrated into long hours and heavy workloads for delivery workers.”

As the virus crisis led to a boom in online shopping, many delivery workers have been pushed to their physical limits, with relatively little protection from labor laws because of their special employment status.

Most delivery workers are not employed directly by the firms they work for, but as subcontractors who earn commissions on each parcel they deliver.

For that reason, delivery workers do not benefit from the 52-hour maximum workweek and can be exempt from mandatory industrial accident insurance, despite being under the tight control of the companies they work for.

To ensure improved working conditions and avoid additional industrial accidents, the government said it will consult with delivery service firms to encourage them to introduce daily caps on work hours and introduce a five-day workweek across the sector.

Ministries will also encourage logistics companies to ban deliveries after 10 p.m. and cease imposing penalties on couriers for late deliveries.

According to a report from the ruling Democratic Party, parcel delivery service workers put in around 71.3 hours a week and earn around 4.6 million won ($4,127) a month. They take home around 2.3 million won a month after work-related expenses are taken into account.

While these are all recommendations, the government said it would seek legislative revisions to force changes in such areas as employee health checks and work-related safety guidelines.

The government will also review its policy on industrial accident insurance coverage for delivery workers. Workers with special employment status are required to split the monthly premiums 50-50 with their employers if they want coverage. If they don’t wish to be covered, they can apply for exemption.

The issue came into the spotlight after the recent deaths of couriers. Most of the deceased were not covered by the insurance as they had asked to be exempt. It was reported that couriers were often coerced by employers to request exemption.

According to a survey released by the Korea Labor Institute in May, 84.3 percent of delivery workers had requested exemption.

The Labor Ministry said all exemption requests will now be required to be submitted directly by the worker. It also promised to revise laws to disallow exemptions unless they are absolutely necessary.

The government also said it would consult with logistics companies and related others to adjust pay for delivery workers -- currently just 800 won per parcel -- since the low pay forces couriers to work longer hours.

Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee said the dialogue will help the delivery sector find ways to maintain sustainable growth while caring for its workers.

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)