Woowa Youths, which handles logistics services for Baemin, said on Tuesday it will no longer apply the advance schedule application feature in its rider application Road Runner, which is being piloted in Osan and Hwaseong in Gyeonggi province.

The scheduling feature lets riders apply in advance to reserve their available delivery hours and operate according to that schedule in Road Runner. It has the advantage of helping riders secure more stable delivery work.

But the Delivery Platform Labor Union raised concerns that the feature could undermine autonomy, the biggest hallmark of riders' work. It has repeatedly called for the feature to be scrapped since it began collective bargaining with Woowa Youths in September last year.

The company said a meeting took place on Monday between Oh-jung Kwon (권오중), CEO of Woowa Youths, and Chang-ui Hong (홍창의), head of the Delivery Platform Labor Union. Woowa Youths decided to accept the union's views and not apply the scheduling feature in the new rider app.

The two sides are pushing a plan to allocate dispatches only on a real-time operation basis, without the scheduling feature, in the new rider app to be tested as early as the second half of this year. They also decided to strengthen on-site cooperation to improve rider safety and operating efficiency.

To that end, they will discuss selecting additional pilot-operation areas in the first half of the year and verifying system stability. Woowa Youths plans to consult with riders and the riders' labor union during the system verification and improvement process.

Woowa Youths also plans to switch riders in Hwaseong and Osan in Gyeonggi province, where Road Runner is currently in operation, so they can carry out deliveries when they want without separate advance schedule applications. The scheduling feature will be terminated everywhere within this year.

Oh-jung Kwon, CEO of Woowa Youths, said, "Responding quickly and sincerely to the labor union's request is the starting point for a sustainable relationship," adding, "We will continue on-site communication so riders can work in a better environment."