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| Coupang's logistics center in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Provice / Courtesy of Coupang |
By Kim Jae-heun
Coupang's response and countermeasures to COVID-19 infection clusters at its logistics centers in Bucheon and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province are stirring controversy.
A 40-something female worker at the center in Bucheon recently posted a petition on Cheong Wa Dae's official website requesting government help to get employees safer working conditions.
According to the worker, Coupang neither took immediate nor responsible action when the first COVID-19 infection was confirmed at the Bucheon center, May 23. The e-commerce firm did not share the news with its employees and told them to come to work the next day.
The female worker was infected with the virus and without knowing, gave it to her husband and daughter. The next day, her husband began to suffer from severe muscle ache and later also tested positive for the coronavirus.
The man is reportedly in a critical condition following a cardiac arrest and acute respiratory failure, while the worker and her daughter are also hospitalized at the moment.
The worker said employees allegedly asked the company to inform them where the infected people worked in the logistics center so they could avoid the area. However, Coupang did not share any information about the virus outbreak.
"Our managers said they could not confirm any facts and repeated they were only doing what they were told to do from above," she said in an interview with a local media outlet.
She said a desktop computer that people used to log into their account at the logistics center was the possible start of the infection cluster.
"I did not use any of the public facilities at my workplace except that desktop. When people use it, they have to take off their gloves and touch the screen. But I never saw a hand sanitizer or wet tissue available there," the worker said.
What she is asking for is a sincere apology and practical countermeasures as well as compensation for victims. However, when she requested this from her manager, he only replied that the company had followed the appropriate guidelines issued by the government and all necessary actions were taken accordingly.
"My manager said it was first time that Coupang was facing such a national disaster and it was not the company's fault. He did not mention anything about compensation either," the worker said.
As of Tuesday (June 9), the online petition was joined by 1,367 people. Cheong Wa Dae will make an official announcement on the case if over 20,000 people participate.
Coupang said it has nothing to say except that it was making every effort for the safety of its workers and customers.
Meanwhile, a civic group earlier raised a complaint against Coupang CEO Kim Bom for his poor management of the COVID-19 outbreak at the company's logistics centers. The group said Kim failed to notify customers early of the infection clusters when they occurred.
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