The forum, “The Balance Between Work & Life, the Justifiable Right of People,” was held by KWWA, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the revision of the Maternity Protection Act, on the 29th of June at Seoul Women's Plaza. There has been a need for a solution to the fact that it was bound to females and has generated other problems like the increase of caring responsibility.

 

At the very beginning, the first speaker Kim Yeongok pointed out that a policy for a balance between work and life bound only to women has caused gender discrimination of labor and has strengthened the division of labor by gender. According to her, the solution is to map out a sustainable, long term plan, not bread and circuses policies. Her other claim was that in order to dissolve the divided labor structure by gender, we should consider the problem of child-care. She also suggested that commercialization of labor and an escape of caring responsibility from the family are required for women, and the exact opposite for men. She underlined the importance of a community-based economic activity and the imaginative power for it. Lastly, she added that we need a new working environment, a new a new standard for the quality of life, and a new way of living to fix the chronic problem of dehumanization at work.

 

Park Sunyeong, the second speaker, alleged that the problem of a non-regular female worker not receiving maternity leave pay still paying unemployment benefits when her contract is expired, must be sorted out. According to Park, an expiration of a non-regular woman worker's contract means the end of her employment even though she had been paying for her insurance, and only two-fifths of women workers are actually being insured. The right to be paid should take priority over whether the person is employed or not.

 

In the third address, Han Jiyoung weighed in on the need to extend paternity leave and paternity pay. She reviewed the 1 month quota system of Assemblyman Kim Sungsik and the 2 month system of Assemblyman Hong Youngpyo and suggested a 3 month quota system.

 

Finally, Baek Seonhee maintained that we block the passage of the autonomous day-care center system, which would make nursery registration fees skyrocket. She suggested working parents be provided with child-care support over day-care service and financial support.

 

It was already 4pm when the addresses from the 4 experts ended. A forum was held after that by 6 debaters including members of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. They had a spirited debate for 90 minutes.

 

We at KWWA, the holder of the forum, will promote follow-up actions for the required amendment of the law. Every single worker is responsible for caring, thus we will keep working for the day when the balance between work and life is appreciated by work places and the society to come.

Posted by KWWA
|