Bán mạng vì miếng ăn thời đại dịch

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South Korea's delivery workers (nhân viên giao hàng) are dying of 'overwork' (làm việc quá giờ)

More than a dozen couriers have died this year, some of whom had complained of workloads that kept them on the clock from dawn until past midnight (quần quật từ sáng sớm tinh mơ đến tối mịt). The deaths have caused a national uproar over their treatment.

Online orders have surged around the world, and demand for delivered goods in South Korea has grown by 30 percent. Packages are expected to arrive with bullet speed, and uninsured workers (nhân viên không có bảo hiểm xã hội) say that it is becoming impossible to keep up with the demand. As the pandemic rages on, couriers are working longer hours for less pay and fear that they will succumb to (thua, không chịu nổi, không chống nổi; chết) the mounting volume of work.

...President Moon Jae-in cut the maximum workweek to 52 hours from 68 in 2018 to ensure a work-life balance and a right to rest, after the country had one of the longest work weeks in the world. But couriers were left out of the deal. It has become common to see them weaving through apartment compounds at all hours.