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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At Gwanghwamun Plaza on Monday, May 11th, 2017. Twenty three NGOs for women workers, including Korean Women Workers Association and Korean Women's Trade Union, led a campaign called "No Pay from Today!" as to declare their will to break wage discrimination against non­regular women workers.

 

 

 

 

 

During the campaign, Ms. Younok Lim (standing representative, Korean Women Workers Association) said, "President Moon's government is not the one for the present ruling party, but the one for all of us, who rallied against the corrupt former government." Ms. Lim added, "If President Moon is really concerned about gender inequality and employment issues as he has declared himself, he must be the president for the non­regular women workers. This is the time to deeply care about equality and justice in their wages and working conditions."

 

Ms. Younok Lim (standing representative, Korean Women Workers Association) Korean Women Workers Association

 

Ms. Jihyeon Na (president, Korean Women's Trade Union) said, "non­regular women workers are one of the most marginalized in our society." and "President Moon already promised he would do his best to relieve discrimination against non­regular workers and to reduce gender wage gap at least to the average level of OECD countries."

 

Ms. Jihyeon Na (president, Korean Women's Trade Union) Korean Women Workers Association

 

In the campaign, Ms. Jeongi Lee (care worker, Share & Care Social Cooperative) pointed out care workers' inferior working conditions saying, "Even though it is tough to take care of patients, our hourly wages are just at the minimum wage level. This March, our pay got cut by 25% 'cause our working hours for some elderly patients got decreased from four to three hours, according to the new policy of National Health Insurance Service. These days, our monthly pay is only 8~900,000 Korean won (about 800 US dollars) for working six hours a day." She also criticized policy problems saying, "Due to the government policy, care workers for the disabled can not be given even the minimum wages, which makes many of care organizations give up their business."

 

Ms. Jeongi Lee (care worker, Share & Care Social Cooperative) Korean Women Workers Association

 

 

Ms. Huisuk Kim (leader at Sogang Univ. Branch, Seoul Office, Korean Women's Trade Union) talked about her difficulties at work saying, "I am a cleaning worker, and everyday, I have to get up at 4 AM to go to work. I'm working all in sweat even during the winter, but at the end of the month, all I got is 1,400,000 Korean won (about 1,300 US dollars)." She also criticized serious wage discrimination based on gender and employment status, and said, "An enormous wage gap between genders and between regular and non­regular workers seems like the modern caste system."

 

Ms. Huisuk Kim (leader at Sogang Univ. Branch, Seoul Office, Korean Women's Trade Union) Korean Women Workers Association

 

 

Mr. Gwangseok Kim, who introduced himself as a male non­regular worker, talked about his precarious working conditions as a night shift parttime worker at a convenience store; although his pay is just above the minimum wage, he can not ask his boss for higher pay, as it will probably make him fired right away. However, he saw himself still privileged as he, as a male worker, did not know much about difficulties his female coworkers were facing such as their stress from customers’ condescending attitudes and sexual harassment, or fear of going home at midnight, which he thought all showed South Korean society had a long way to go for gender equality.

 

 

Mr. Gwangseok Kim (male non­regular part­time worker) Korean Women Workers Association

 

Ms. Gahyeon Lee, the president of Arbeit Workers Union (a trade union of parttime workers in South Korea) talked about employment notice she recently saw; for the same job, it was offering permanent positions only for men, and temporary positions only for women. She said, “even though female parttime workers are facing lots of difficulties at work, such as emotional labor at a call center or information desk, sexual harassment, and verbal abuse, they are not given enough pay and social respect.” She also criticized sexual discrimination at work, saying “a recent survey shows 97% of female parttime workers are required to put on makeup on their job, which makes them spend their own money to buy cosmetics for work. Finally she added, “achieving human rights is not something to put off.”

 

 

Ms. Gahyeon Lee, the president of Arbeit Workers Union Korean Women Workers Association

 

After these statements, the campaign participants carried out a performance in which they smashed placards symbolizing wage discrimination based on gender and employment status. Inspired by a film Kill Bill, women workers in a yellow jumpsuit went first, which was followed by the other participants who smashed their own placard in the performance. On this day, similar campaigns and performances against the wage discrimination were simultaneously carried out also in the other cities over the country, such as Jeonju, Gwangju, Daegu, Gyeongju, and Busan.

 

 

 

‘The Smashing Performance’ Korean Women Workers Association

 

 

As of now, while men regular workers’ average monthly wage is 3,440,000 Korean Won (about 3,200 US Dollars), women nonregular workers’ is 1,230,000 Korean Won (about 1,200 US Dollars), which is below the level of minimum wage. Given average income for the men regular workers is 100, that for the women nonregular workers is about 36 (35.8%).

 

As of now, while men regular workers’ average monthly wage is 3,440,000 Korean Won (about 3,200 US Dollars), women nonregular workers’ is 1,230,000 Korean Won (about 1,200 US Dollars), which is below the level of minimum wage. Given average income for the men regular workers is 100, that for the women nonregular workers is about 36 (35.8%).

 

On last International Women’s Day, Korean Women Workers Association carried out a rally to urge participants to leave work early, as part of South Korean women labor organizations’ joint campaign 'Stop at 3 o'clock!’ to fight against the gender wage gap in South Korea. Gender wage gap in South Korea, 100:63, is so high that it ranks as the worst among the OECD countries, but this is the mere ratio of male workers’ average income to female workers’.

 

Compared to the male workers, the female workers are more likely to be employed as nonregular workers as well as to be given lower income; a half of all women workers in South Korea are nonregular workers. The wage gap gets even higher to 100:36, when comparing regular male workers’ income to nonregular female workers’. This huge wage gap can not be simply explained by the difference in gender and employment status. Therefore, we argue that one of the best ways to fight against the gender wage gap is to tackle the problem that a large number of women workers are employed as nonregular workers.

 

Given the wage gap of 100:36, it could be regarded that women nonregular workers work for free from the 11th of May every year, and this is why this day is chosen for the campaign ‘No Pay from Today!.’ Until the discriminationbased gender wage gap gets zero, we, Korean Women Workers Association and the campaign participants will do our best to end the gender wage gap in South Korea.

 

 

 

 

Posted by KWWA
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On Feb. 23, 2017, a forum titled "Let Us Overcome Misogyny and Remodel Women's Work and Life" was held in the National Assembly of South Korea. It was jointly held by Korean Women Workers Association and Korean Women's Trade Union, along with six members of the National Assembly (Insoon Nam, Chairman at Gender Equality and Family Committee / Mihyuk Kwon and Okjoo Song, Democratic Party of Korea / Samhwa Kim and Yonghyeon Shin, People's Party / Jeongmi Lee, Justice Party). Through the five articles on OhmyNews, an online news website in South Korea, we Korean Women Workers Association will report on this forum. In this article, we will summarize our suggestions for the 19th presidential election agendas, as a wrap­up of this series.

 

'Is this a government?'; with this chant last winter in 2016, the people in South Korean society were not only asking to reform their government filled with injustice and corruption, but also crying in despair of difficulties of their lives. It's now or never. Before our lives get further broken, we desperately need policy making and enforcement based on a philosophy which cares about lives of each member of the people. Our new government's major task should be to make society where everyone's labor could be respected regardless of her/his gender. In this sense, we suggest the main philosophies of labor policy for our new government.

 

Korean Women Workers Association's suggestion for the 19th presidential election agendas

 

 

Labor policy for gender equality, Not for the utilization of women resources

In the 1970s, South Korean women workers suffered from low wages and terrible long working hours, under the name of 'a pillar of industry' to lay foundation for the nation's economic growth. Now, they are suffering from poor working conditions of part­time jobs, which were rashly made by the government to raise employment rate. South Korean women workers have never been the real subject in the government policy. South Korea's policy of women labor has never aimed for society where every single person can happily work regardless of her/his gender. All it has cared about is making policy to utilize women resources, as a means to enhance national competitiveness.

 

The problem is a philosophy. The false goal of policy makes impossible to aim for the happiness of each member of the people, which is the ideal goal of policy. New government's women's labor policy should be different from the previous 'utilization policy for women resources.' It should be clearly enacted as the 'labor policy for gender equality', as to realize gender equality at work. It must depart from outdated patriarchal ideology, which disparages women's paid labor as the 'sildeline' and justifies women workers' low wages based on beliefs in gendered division of labor. Also, the scale of policy should be expanded to abolish gender discrimination at the more structural and integrated level, not at the fragmented level only targeting women. This is because gender equality is an issue for everyone, and it takes everyone's efforts for its realization.

 

Starting point is the everyday lives of the most marginalized, non­regular women workers

 

Women workers are, in general, placed in the vulnerable position in the labor market. The problem gets even worse with discrimination against the non­regular workers. 53.8% of South Korean women workers work as non­regular workers, and their average monthly income is 1,230,000 won (approximately 1,100 US dollars), which is below the minimum wage and comprises merely 35.8% of regular men workers' average monthly income (as of August, 2016). Also, women make up 62.7% of 2,660,000 workers paid below the minimum wage.

 

 

Would it have been possible for these non­regular women workers to join the demonstrations against former president Park's government last winter? For those who are deprived of basic human rights, would it be possible to think of other than their own survival? Like walking on the edge, too precarious are their everyday lives. In 2014, one old mother and two daughters in Seoul took their own lives at the moment when their basic rights of survival could not be guaranteed any more as non­regular women workers. Policy making should start from concern for the most marginalized. The most critical task for the government is to guarantee rights of survival, and furthermore, rights of living a decent life.

 

We need solutions to employment disruption, not to career disruption

 

'Career disruption' means the situation in which married women's careers are interrupted due to their voluntary or involuntary exit from the labor market regarding their responsibility of childbirth or child­rearing. Behind its definition is hidden its complex background. Their low income even lower than their cost of childcare as well as their secondary position at work, which they would give up at any time without much regret. In South Korea, there are not many jobs for women that are decent enough to keep with their responsibility of housework and child­rearing, which is mainly attributed to the gender discrimination in the labor market.

 

Women workers' experience at work is hardly recognized as a career. Unlike aged men workers who are more likely recognized as professionally mature, aged women workers are often seen as those who are obsolete and no longer playing the 'eye candy' role at work. As women workers get older and experienced at work, they are supposed to be promoted to the managerial positions. However, once they experience such strong glass ceiling, they are kicked out of their career. These risks are faced by many women workers in their late 30s or early 40s, regardless of their career disruption related to childbirth and child­rearing. In this sense, it would be more correct to call these risks 'employment disruption' rather than 'career interruption.'

 

The previous solutions to career disruption are merely centered on reemployment, through such channels as part­time jobs, job training, or job placement. To this problem of 'employment disruption', we need more fundamental solutions.

 

Labor policy for individual independent workers, not for male breadwinners

 

In South Korea, family structures become more diverse than ever before, and the number of single households has dramatically increased. Far from this reality, most policies in South Korea are designed for the traditional family structure, which is composed of parents and two unmarried children. Policies are still based on the outdated 'male­breadwinner model', in which men are supporting their family's living while women are doing housework and child­rearing as homemakers. This model can be used to justify gender discrimination in the labor market. The model which would not recognize women workers as breadwinners, has helped to justify their low wages and exclusion from various types of benefits and pensions. These days in South Korea, it is not always possible for only men to support their family's living. Although women are always working, through paid or unpaid labor, given the male­breadwinner model, they have been just seen as the secondary workers.

 

It is just an outdated dream that all the adult women and men get married and have children. We should recognize that a variety of life choices and ways of life are also possible. This recognition would be possible only based on the policy model in which every single member of the people is seen as an independent individual. This model should be the foundation of the overall government policy, which includes not only labor, but also housing and welfare policy.

 

Life should be centered on individual living, not on paid work

 

In South Korea, most people's lives center around paid work. Get-togethers as well as overtime work at night or over the weekend, which all are common in Korean companies, make South Korea ranked third for working hours among the OECD countries. Long working hours take up time for each individual's living. Unless given enough time to take a rest, cook and eat healthy food, look after our family members, and care social and political issues around ourselves, we will be easily exhausted physically, mentally, and socially.

 

Behind South Korea's long working hours, there exists its outdated working culture, which makes it possible that companies employ only two for the job for three, or that workers are expected to join their get­together until dawn. All of this is based on Korean companies' disrespect for their employees' individual living and delusion that with an employment contract they bought employee's 24 hours. Sometimes, such long working hours are made possible by the workers themselves, as to compensate for their low wages. However, 'if we work too hard, we will only run ourselves to death.' Before too late, workers need to get back their own individual living. Paid work, the means of our life should be no longer confounded with its end. Life should center around each individual's living, not around paid work or companies. South Korea's new government needs to design its labor policy as to return to workers their individual life. We need a fundamental change in our working conditions as to make society where workers can live a decent life without overwork and can be no longer forced to work overtime.

 

Men are also responsible for housework and childcare

 

The biggest problem of South Korean work­family balance policy is that it is only targeted at women and concerned about supporting their childcare. And this leads South Korean government to promote women's part­time work, given its idea that women's paid work can be supported only when it does not hinder their childcare.

 

The problem is men do not see themselves as caretakers for housework and childcare. On the contrary, with their unequal burden of housework and childcare, woman are expected to be a superwoman; when they come home from work, they start their second shift. All of this makes a great gap in hours for housework and childcare between genders. Companies favor men employees as those who would work overtime at night or over the weekend, which justifies their gender discrimination. However, it should be recognized at the social as well as individual level that men are also responsible for housework and childcare.

 

We need to change our ways of thinking. We need to relieve women's unequal burden of housework and childcare, which would not be made possible only through policy change. Based on the model of double­caregivers, we need to design policy and change family and working culture, as a way to make sure that it is all family members who are responsible for their housework and childcare.

 

 

Posted by KWWA
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