[Press conference to counteract expansion of part-time jobs by governemtn]

[Press conference to counteract expansion of part-time jobs by governemtn]

‘Alba Heaven’ will make the employment rate to 70%!

 Last 13th November, Korean government announced that it would create part-time jobs more by scale of 16,500 jobs in public sector by 2017 and encourage employer of private small-medium enterprise to create part-time jobs by supporting financially in expense for wage and social insurance. Government stated to increase employment rate of women for 70% employment rate. However it is obvious that this action would aggravate women jobs. 

 It would be true that women employment rate should increase to achieve employment rate by 70%. But an increase in part-time jobs would not guarantee a rise in women employment rate. It becomes clear when looking at the regard that part-time job of women have rose by 18 times more than one of men does but women employment rate has been stagnant. It is because that full-time regular job has been converted into part-time job. 

 Even now women occupy 73.1% of total part-time jobs. The average wage of part-time jobs is 650,000 KRW and coverage rate of social insurance is only 10%. Government promotes that part-time jobs are needed for women in career discontinuation but what women truly want is that her career is not disrupted. Asking women workers to work part-time for work-life balance will make women workers more disadvantage in labor market, forcing work-life balance only into women workers.  

 The worst feature of irregular workers is instability. Even though government insists it would make ‘decent part-time jobs’, in fact, it is almost impossible that part-time job is secure and it is not possible to expect stable income in part-time job unless being paid much more wage than regular full-time employees. Even though government insists it is ‘desirable part-time job’ with ‘regular position’, if needing another two- three another part-time jobs for living, it is very precarious job. Part-time job is a sort of irregular job, having a distinct feature of irregular jobs, namely instability. It is difficult to assign any authority and responsibility. Workers without authority nor responsibility would be difficult to have sense of belonging and being rewarding.  

 Especially, this announcement runs completely counter to Pak GuenHye government’s promise ‘that workers in constant-continuous jobs would be converted into regular position’. Within a year after government declared that it would lead private sector by converting irregular workers in constant-continuous jobs into regular position and employing regular workers now and future, it tries to expand part-time jobs, which is the most vulnerable among irregular jobs, at the head. This government measure will be more likely to accelerate hierarchy of labor, in the order of regular position – permanent-contract position - contract position - part-time position, and at the same time discrimination. As showed from case of Bucheon visiting nurse, part-time job is wrongfully used in order to avoid conversion to permanent position even now. 

 Immediately after government announcement on 13th, major company like Samsung was rushing to state recruiting plan of part-time job. Moreover Samsung said it would employ ‘part-time contract workers’. Government set a plan to spend 32.7 billion KRW in 2014 to create part-time jobs at private small-medium enterprises. It is just like to encourage employer to create more irregular workers by spending government tax. 

 

 Government should take responsibility to dispel worries raised over part-time job from women labor group, not repeat that the worries are misunderstanding, before this worries become a reality. However, government only presents statistical figures related to part-time job, not showing any evidence that the part-time job is a decent job. 

 What government has to do in order to enhance women employment rate is to ensure that all workers enjoy effect of work-life balance policy such as shortening working hours and strengthening government responsibility for child-care. Government should diminish gender gap on wage, of which Korea ranks the top among OECD, and seek for measure to enhance employment rate of college graduate women, which is the lowest among OECD. Government should spend government budget in order to reduce the size of women irregular workers in public sector and to establish countermeasure to indirect employment such as dispatched or subcontract workers in public sector. Also most urgent priority is to improve working condition for women workers who work in informal sector which don’t get caught in employment rate.  

 We strongly oppose government policy to create worse jobs, being busy with uplift of employment rate. Government budget to support for creating part-time job must not pass. Park Guenhye government should clearly know that women’s labor problem won’t be solved by part-time jobs.  We are outraged at government of ‘being out of communication’, pushing through expansion of part-time jobs. We would fight and make every endeavor for women jobs not to turn into part-time jobs. 

November 18, 2013

SaengSaeng women labor activism 

(Worker’s Solidarity/ Committee for Women right of MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society/ Korean Confederation of Trade Union/ Woman Labor Law Support Center/ Korean Women’s Trade Union/ National Women Solidarity/ Federation of Korea Trade Unions/ Korean Women Worker’s Association/ Womenlink/ Korean Women’s Association United)

Members of National Assembly (Han Myeong Sook, Sim Sang Jeong, Kin Sang Hee, Namyun In Soon, Yu Seung Hee, Eun Soo Mi, In Jae Keun, Jang Ha Na, Han Jeong Ae)