Non-union courier transportation block found guilty by courier union members

Courier union executives accused of obstructing non-union drivers who tried to deliver undelivered cargo instead by union members have been found guilty.

On the 27th of last month, the Supreme Court confirmed the lower court's ruling that sentenced A and B, executives of the Busan branch of the courier union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, to a fine of 700,000 won, respectively.

They were put on trial in 2021 on charges of obstructing work, such as blocking vehicles or unloading courier items, when a non-union courier tried to transport the courier's package.

During the trial, they protested the delivery of the package by the driver, not the person in charge, and argued that it was a legitimate act that prevented the driver from attempting to illegally transport it in a regular vehicle that could not be used for the delivery service.

However, the first and second trial courts refused to accept the claim, saying that their actions amounted to sufficient power to be seen as obstruction of work, and that the operation of unauthorized vehicles did not meet the urgency or supplementation requirements for justification as they could have been reported to the police.

The Supreme Court also dismissed the appeal of Mr. A and others and confirmed the sentence, saying that there was no fault in the judgment of the lower court for obstruction of business and misunderstanding of the legal principles of political action.