Unionized delivery workers held a news conference Friday and threatened to launch a general strike unless measures to prevent overwork are implemented before the Lunar New Year holiday next month.

A national union of delivery workers said that even after companies announced related countermeasures, one worker died and four others passed out after working too much.

The union said if a social consultative body scheduled to convene next week fails to reach an agreement and implement it, it has no choice but to hold a vote among its members on the collective action. 

The union argued that without measures put in place, overwork will become an aggravated concern during Lunar New Year when parcel deliveries spike in volume.

Couriers have complained for months of excessive workloads following a surge in online orders during the pandemic. The body which involves various parties was formed last month to address the issue. 

The union says some 55-hundred members belonging to five major logistics firms will take part in the strike if it happens. Their demands include suspending overnight deliveries, raising delivery fees and increasing the number of workers to sort parcels.