The hope of Yellow Apron, Not 'market vitalization' but 'people' is the first! Hold a joint press conference to table a bill of 'domestic worker respect Act'.

 

 

 

KWWA and NHMC, together with a member of National Assembly, Lee Jeong Mi, has had a joint press conference to table a bill to improve the employment of domestic workers at Jeong Lon Gwan at National Assembly on 26th.

 

Lee Jeong Mi(Justice party, a member of Environment and Labor Committee) announced "table a bill Act for respect on domestic workers(Act on improvement of employment of domestic workers) in order to protect the labor right of domestic workers and promote public vitalization of domestic service industry” at the conference.   

 

At the conference, 10 delegates in yellow aprons stepped on the platform with hand placard stating key provisions of Act for respect on domestic workers. The 10 delegates are heads of 5 regional branches of NHMC(Lee Jin Sim, president of NHMC·head of Seoul branch, Shim Ok Seob, head of Incheon branch, Kim Yeon Ja, head of Bucheon branch, Kim Jae Soon, head of Ansan branch, Yoon Hyeon Mi, head of Suwon branch), domestic workers, chair of KWWA(Yim Yoon ok), Seoul branch chair of KWWA(Son Young Joo), Incheon branch chair of KWWA(Park Myeong Sook), Suwon branch chair of KWWA(Kim Kyeong Hee).  

 

ILO adopted the ‘Convention concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers’ (Convention on Domestic Workers) in 2011 and has been requesting its member states to recognize the labor status of domestic workers whose number around the world reaches 100 millions. Also, last January, National Human Right Commission of Korea recommended provide standardized contract form to protect working condition, produce and provide customer manual to protect human rights application of unemployment insurance and industrial accident compensation insurance ratification of ILO convention on domestic workers and elimination of Article 11 of Labor Standard Act which excludes domestic workers from its application.

 

In line with the recommendation, the bill proposed by Rep. Lee includes, apart from eradication of unfair treatment to domestic workers, ▲promotion and support of public agency to offer decent job for domestic workers and good domestic service, ▲provide domestic service to vulnerable social group such as single parent household, low income two earner household, ▲guarantee minimum 15hour working per week for domestic workers to secure rights by Labor Standard Act. such as annual leave and weekly holiday and to join social security.

 

Rep. Lee Jeong mi addressed “as a cook at school is not a Ajumma to cook, domestic workers are not helper ajummas” and promised “to make every effort to procure the passage of the act for new Republic of Korea where labor is dignified and any labor of no one is not ignored.”

 

 

 

 

Lee Jin Sim, who is the president of NHMC and herself a domestic worker, represented domestic workers at the conference and expressed gratitude to Rep. Lee Jeong mi. She condemned pre-announced government bill <Act on improvement on domestic workers employment> saying “it is a bill which fail to make any progress from the 2015 government bill with problems. Lee Jin Sim urged the government and National Assembly to enact a legislation covering human rights and labor rights of domestic workers, the number of which reaches 300,000, including ▲obligation of user, actual employer ▲obligation of user and agency to abide by labor related legislations ▲restriction on exploitation of domestic workers’ wage, and abolish the provision, Article 11, Clause 1 of the Labor Standards Act which rules out application of Labor Standards Act toward domestic workers.

 

Yim Woon OK, standing chair of KWWA, who has been together with NHMC over the last decade to attain human rights and labor rights for domestic workers, pointed out “it is a gender discrimination that the Labor Standard Act which enacted in 1953 rules out its application to domestic workers, 99% of them are women”. She added “It should not be applied selectively in the name of the nature of the work, domestic work, but applied thoroughly considering its nature. If not, this would be another discrimination”, and “the government bill is profoundly problematic because domestic workers are not subjected to the labor Standard Act.” She also emphasized criticism on the government bill which only requires making efforts to provide 15hours work per week to domestic workers, stating “it is more problem that current Labor Standard Act doesn’t recognize being a worker to a worker who works less than 15hours per week, and don’t secure application of unemployment insurance and industrial accident compensation insurance, severance pay, a recess, an annual leave.” She added that “if employment agency is recognized as an actual employer, as it is the service provider, it is needed to impose an obligation of employer.”

 

Yoon Hyeon Mi, the chair of NHMC Suwon branch, who works as a domestic worker, explained “we get treatment, with entirely our own money, for any injury and illness which we get at work, such as getting a cut on a broken glass organizing a garbage bag, breaking their ankle cleaning a bathroom, for the sole reason that we are not workers.” She complained “it is not understandable that we are not workers, though we work as other workers and get paid out of the work”, and “we want National Health insurance and Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance to be applied for us too as others.” She urged “we hope that the Rep. Lee Jeong Mi’s bill which reflect domestic workers opinion are enacted.”

 

At the closing remarks, Kim Kyeong Hee, Suwon branch chair of KWWA, said “when a society recognize the value of an work and well built with right working condition, good service (work) would be expected” and “a bus driver in Norway receives respect socially and get paid as much as a professor in a university. So a bus driver is proud of themselves as they are responsible for passengers’ lives and no overtime for them. Consequently there is no moment of raising voice or a fight in a bus. Like this, a respect on labor is essential” quoted Park No Ja who is a professor in Oslo University. She also emphasized “for the respect toward domestic workers, it is critical to have a right legislation.”

 

NHMC and KWWA paved the way of legislation to secure human rights and labor rights for domestic workers in 2015. And today, the bill made by domestic workers is labeled <Act for respect on domestic workers> through Rep. Lee Jeong Mi, a member of National Assembly. From now on, we will move on to make the bill pass through and become an enacted Law to ensure actually the human rights and labor rights of domestic workers at 20th Assembly.

 

 Act for respect on domestic workers” is to put ‘people’ on priority, not for ‘market vitalization’!

 

 

 

Posted by KWWA
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