Minimum Wage for Delivery and Courier Drivers Fails to Pass with 11 Votes in Favor, 15 Against
No Separate Application for Contract-Based Workers in 2027 Minimum Wage
Discussion Postponed Until Next Year
The application of minimum wage to contract-based workers such as delivery drivers and couriers has once again failed to pass.
The Minimum Wage Commission, composed of 27 members—nine each representing workers, employers, and the public interest—held its fifth plenary session at the Sejong Government Complex on June 11. During the meeting, a vote was held on whether to apply the minimum wage to contract-based workers. The proposal was rejected with 11 votes in favor, 15 against, and 1 invalid ballot.
The Minimum Wage Commission announced, "As a result of the vote on whether to separately apply the minimum wage for contract-based workers in 2027, it has been decided that the minimum wage for 2027 will not be separately applied to contract-based workers."
As a result, discussions on applying the minimum wage to contract-based workers have been postponed until next year.
Contract-based work is a form of employment in which compensation is determined by the outcome or quantity of work performed under a contract. Typical examples include delivery drivers, food couriers, substitute drivers, and home-study instructors, who are often classified as specially-employed or platform workers.
The labor side argues that applying the minimum wage to contract-based workers can reduce "unpaid labor," prevent excessive operation, and provide a minimum safety net to protect their livelihoods and survival from various risks. Therefore, they call for an expansion of its application.
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On the other hand, employers oppose the move, arguing that the minimum wage should only apply to workers as defined by the Labor Standards Act. They point out that a significant number of contract-based workers are in fact self-employed, and therefore should not even be considered in the discussions of the Minimum Wage Commission. They also claim that expanding the application of the minimum wage would increase the burden on small business owners and others.
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