In particular, with the recent increase in the demand for online shopping, most shopping
companies have tried to respond flexibly by operating their own logistics centers and
delivering system. However, as the flexibility of the labor force was further demanded, it
was criticized for neglecting the health and safety of the night workers.
According to the data on industrial accidents from the Ministry of Employment and Labor,
since 2020, the total number of industrial accidents approved by company C’s logistics
subsidiaries was 866. The number of applications before approval was 373 cases, as of Aug.
2022, following 239 cases in 2020 and 332 cases in 2021.611) Moreover, the number of
logistics center workers complaining of various illnesses and disorders caused by long hours
of night work has increased.
B) Ethical and Legal Issues of Night Work
In the Night Work Convention (1990), the ILO defined the night work as ‘work performed
for more than 7 consecutive hours, including the time from midnight to 5 am,’ and is finally
determined by the concerned state or the government authority after discussion between the
employer and the workers’ organization. In Korea, according to Article 56 of the Labor
Standards Act, the night work is ‘work performed from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am the following
day.’
Many studies have been conducted on the night work posing a serious threat to health, and
the International Agency for Research on Cancer defines it as a second-class carcinogen.
According to the 2021 survey on labor and human rights status of the logistics center
workers conducted by the NHRCK, the logistics center workers are threatened with their
right to health and life due to high-intensity and long night work.612) Unlike shift work in
other occupations, most logistics center workers perform only night work without rotating
day and night shifts, so there is a high risk of health problems, including sleep disorders,
eating disorders, metabolic syndrome, and cancer.
611) Global Economy News, “2022 National Assembly Audit - Coupang Fulfillment CEO will strive to reduce industrial
accidents and deaths,” Oct. 5, 2022
612) NHRCK, Survey of Labor Human Rights Situation of Logistics Center Workers, 2021.
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