3) Asian Regional Workshop for the ILO Convention Report of The Present Situation

OUR ARCHIVE/Workshop and Conference 2008/02/01 11:42 |
3) Asian Regional Workshop for the ILO Convention Report of The Present Situation
kwwa  2002-10-28 13:37:32, 조회 : 49

The Present Situation of Home Based Workers in Korea

There are not many materials on the reality of home based workers in Korea, because labor movements have been organized focusing on regular employees and large companies.
The following is provided by the Korean Women's Development Institute. It implemented a survey from June 25th to July 4th in 1989. Among the 103 low income areas, 20 of them were randomly selected. A total of 8,050 married women were responded. The survey also included interviews.  

1. General Characteristics of home based workers
1) Most of them are married women. Because they can work at the same time do household work and childcare. Their income will be helpful. However, they are not able to find any suitable job. 75% of respondents answered that they do home based work because they can simultaneously do household works.
2) 85.6% of respondents thought that their income will be helpful for living.
3) 34.2% of women had one child, less than 6 years old.
   90.6% of women had one child, less than 18 years old.
Taking care of children and family work is the priority for women regardless of their job. Even though there are economic demands in low income families, it is a difficult decision for women to work.  

2. Employment Situation of Home Based Workers
1) Mostly they work in export-oriented industries such as garments, textile, toy, and bag.
2) Mostly they work in simple and labor intensive areas which  an automation process cannot secure any profits.
3) Types of home base work
Processing parts and components of industrial products-67.9%
Processing some parts and making handicraft - 2.2%
Simple handiwork   - 29.8%
Home based workers are new form of laborers. They are much flexible and give satisfaction to the labor-intensive and export-oriented industries. Therefore, it is expected that many married women will be involved in home based works in the near future.

3. Skill and Necessary Equipment of home base workers
1) Home based workers pay their own working expenses or buy some necessary parts by themselves.
2) 28.9% of respondents answered that their job require a specific  skills. However, 71.1% of them do not need any skills.
3) 94.2% of respondents suggested to the necessity of acquiring skills and technique. Most of them obtained skills through their past experiences or apprentice ship works. 5.8% from private institutes.    
4) There are pay differences due to their skills.


4. Working Hours and Days
1) In 1987, a home based worker worked 7.7 hours a day and 167.2 hours a month(67.1% of a regular employee) on the average. A regular women employee in a small factory worked 246.1 hours a month on the average.
2) 32.2% of respondents worked over 25days a month.
Unlike regular workers, they have flexible working hours, however, due to the low cost of product as well as low family income, there are severe limitations to handle the work. Obviously home based work is not a side job in terms of working hours.

5.Piece Rates
1) They are paid by a piece. (unit or piece price x amount of product a day) There is no rational system of management. Whole working process is controlled by capital.
2) Average monthly earning- 104,893 won
  52.8% of a regular woman employee's income in the manufacturing sector
  26.2% of a male worker's income in the equal field
3) Payment Method
Payment is calculated by a piece, however, 82.3% of them are paid monthly. No preventive measures against overdue payments.  

6. Employment and Working Condition
1) Introduced by neighbors 68.2%
   Found a job directly     14%
2) Work at home       93%
(They usually worked at near their houses, neighbors, or a person's house who provided works.)  

7. Poor Quality Products and their handling method
1) 33.1% of work did not have any defaults.
   Because home based workers took only simple and labor  
   intensive work.    
2) 24.4% of respondents should repay for a poor quality product.
   They received a new material and made it again. Or they did
   it with their own expenses.

8. Difficulties of home based workers
1) Low pay
2) Not enough work
3) Bad working conditions
4) Urgent time limit of work(Need to prepare work orders upon  
   business cycles.)
5) High labor intensity
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