By Jun Ji-hye
The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union is considering legal action against FedEx Korea for the company's alleged failure to take safety measures in its delivery of live anthrax samples to a military lab in Korea from the United States.
"FedEx delivered live anthrax samples through the general delivery service network, a violation of laws such as the Aviation Security Act," Jung Chan-moo, who is in charge of air and sea transport of the union, told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "It did not notify transport workers of the danger, and did not offer safety equipment, either. This seems to have violated the Industrial Safety and Health Act."
He noted whether or not the company knew about the delivery of the hazardous material will be key to deciding the firm's legal responsibility.
"The company said all it did was just deliver parcels, and it did not know about the samples. But we believe there is greater possibility that the firm knew it, given FedEx is one of the major contractors of the Pentagon," he said. "The firm has not made an apology although it directly threatened the safety of Korean citizens and workers."
Employees of FedEx Korea belong to the transport workers' union, an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the nation's second-largest umbrella union.
Park Seok-min, a senior official at the KCTU, said that his organization is also planning to urge the government to take legal responsibility for its response to the incident.
"We will especially check on the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," he said.
Park noted that FedEx issued a ban to prohibit its workers from media interviews right after the mistaken shipment was made public on May 28.
Park is in charge of security and unification issues including those related to United States Forces Korea (USFK).
The world's top package courier accidently delivered live anthrax samples for military experiments across the United States, as well as other countries including Canada, Australia and South Korea, according to the Pentagon.
The Korea Times has asked FedEx about the route the sample that was brought to Korea, what was written on the invoice for the goods, whether the sample was separated from ordinary parcels, and what kind of measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident. But the company declined to elaborate beyond its statement.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
The Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union is considering legal action against FedEx Korea for the company's alleged failure to take safety measures in its delivery of live anthrax samples to a military lab in Korea from the United States.
"FedEx delivered live anthrax samples through the general delivery service network, a violation of laws such as the Aviation Security Act," Jung Chan-moo, who is in charge of air and sea transport of the union, told The Korea Times, Tuesday. "It did not notify transport workers of the danger, and did not offer safety equipment, either. This seems to have violated the Industrial Safety and Health Act."
He noted whether or not the company knew about the delivery of the hazardous material will be key to deciding the firm's legal responsibility.
"The company said all it did was just deliver parcels, and it did not know about the samples. But we believe there is greater possibility that the firm knew it, given FedEx is one of the major contractors of the Pentagon," he said. "The firm has not made an apology although it directly threatened the safety of Korean citizens and workers."
Employees of FedEx Korea belong to the transport workers' union, an affiliate of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), the nation's second-largest umbrella union.
Park Seok-min, a senior official at the KCTU, said that his organization is also planning to urge the government to take legal responsibility for its response to the incident.
"We will especially check on the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport," he said.
Park noted that FedEx issued a ban to prohibit its workers from media interviews right after the mistaken shipment was made public on May 28.
Park is in charge of security and unification issues including those related to United States Forces Korea (USFK).
The world's top package courier accidently delivered live anthrax samples for military experiments across the United States, as well as other countries including Canada, Australia and South Korea, according to the Pentagon.
The Korea Times has asked FedEx about the route the sample that was brought to Korea, what was written on the invoice for the goods, whether the sample was separated from ordinary parcels, and what kind of measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident. But the company declined to elaborate beyond its statement.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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