Many women workers in unorganized small companies are being laid-off and they have not received their backwages, Since many of these women workers are heads of their families, they face extremely difficult situations.. On June 9, 1998, the Action Center for Women's Unemployment and five(5) regional branches in Seoul, Inchon, Pusan, Kwangju and Ansan were established as an annex to KWWAU in order to publicize the seriousness in women' unemployment and to encourage the government to make pro-active policies for women workers.

These Action Centers for Women's Unemployment provide practical assistance to women workers, through a variety of programmes such as job counselling, information provision, training, surveying activities, and medical assistance. I would like to look for future directions by examining the activities of our centers over the last three months.

1. Announcing the 'job seeker registration campaign'

   "What is a job seeker registration ?"
   "Does the Ministry of Labour receive job seeker registrations ?"

   Women seldom know that the Ministry of Labor, labour banks, and all district offices receive registrations for job seekers. Amongst the job seekers who visited the Action Center for Women's Unemployment in June, only 11% had been registered as job applicants at their district office.

   Although unemployment is a hot issue across Korea, women are not classified as "unemployed." They are often considered as those who simply give up finding jobs and as part of the economically inactive population. Thus, offficial statistics show that the women's unemployment rate is lower than those of men.

   However, women's jobs are decreasing faster across all sectors, relative to those of men (while in July 1998 the employment rate amongst men decreased by 5.3%, women's unemployment rate decreased by 8.2%. Amongst the economically active population, the male unemployment rate increased by 11%, but the female unemployment rate decreased by 4%). This disparity between official statistics and the current unemployment situation makes it extremely difficult to grasp detailed situations and women's unemployment trends.

   We believe that unofficial statistics should be dramatically changed. Therefore, we launched a registration campaign of women's job seekers, to push the government to establish and carry-out systematical policies for preventing women's unemployment. The campaign will encourage the government to provide proper public works for women which are supported by the government for a short term. In this sense, women job-seekers and jobless women will be more encouraged to survive the unemployment crisis with stronger wills.

2. Organizing rallies for women workers' job security and demanding the government to establish women's unemployment prevention

   "Set up active policies for maintaining employment."
   "I feel very stuffy, after I have been unemployed for several months."
   "The government should establish and integrate long-term, stable employment measures."

   Last Augst 18, 200 women held a rally in front of the headquarter of the ruling party for 'employment security for women workers and called for measures for unemployed women.'

   By organizing these street rallies once a month, the Action Centers for Women's Unemployment are demanding that the government establish women's unemployment measures with the Federation of Korean Trade Unions(Announcing the 'job seeker registration campaign'FKTU), Korean Confederation of Trade Unions(KCTU), Universities' Coalition for Obtaining Women's Rights to Work.

   We also are pushing the government to implement practical policies, publicize issues related to unemployment amongst women, and respond pro-actively to recent issues and problems. Recently, the government started to implement measures for unemployed women, establishing talks with jobless women, providing jobs suitable for women at the second level of public works, and setting up job training courses for unemployed women householders. These changes in the government' attitudes were brought about by our active and strong activities.

3. Carrying out active counsellings with the women jobless
   1. Counselling

      "Please help me to get any job. I can do anything."
      "I feel very stuffy, after I have been unemployed for several months."

      These complaints are those often heard when unemployed women visit our centers. All of our Action Centers for Women's Unemployment which include 5 regional centers have taken a total of 1,312 counselling cases since our establishment in July.

      Unemployed people accounted for 45.9% (337 cases) of 735 cases in June and increased to 50.2% (294 cases) amongst 581 cases. This shows that a massive number of women have been laid-off, largely attributed to dismissals and back pays.

      Employment rate of housewives was 31.9% in July. Housewives are mostly women over the age of 40. Many housewives are looking for a job to help made ends meet due to unemployment of their husbands. However, it is difficult for them to find jobs because most companies require that women are under the age of 35.

      The newly unemployed experience the same problems, because lay-offs and dismissals are very prevalent amongst workers. In particular, female university graduates are put in more serious difficulties. Current employment tendency shows that 'young workers with education levels of high school matriculation who do not mind low wages without any bonus' are favored.

      Amongst them, jobless women householderss are on the most desperate edge. They constitute about 20% of the total number of the jobless (according to statistics collected by the headquarter of the Action Centers for Women's Unemployment.

      They are monthly tenants (Korea has yearly rental system. too), and their owners urge them to leave their accommodation because they have not been able to pay since they became unemployed. Most of jobless women householders, between the ages of the late 30s and the 50s, face difficulties in finding jobs. Practical policies by the government are urgently needed.

   2. Policy suggestion activities

      Job-seekers are abundant, but very few companies are looking to hire them. Most jobs available are in the retail sales industry for high-priced goods. These jobs are not stable enough for these applicants in practice.

      The Action Centers for Women's Unemployment demanded that the government follow regulations in terms of increasing the number of suitable jobs for women and detailed regulations for participants in the public work scheme: only unemployed people who experienced previous unemployment can join the scheme; they can apply for it three months after they become unemployed; participants in the program at the first level cannot join the second level public work program.

      After our demands, the government changed its polices so that jobs suitable for women such as 'workers for children from low-income family' and 'assistants for women's welfare' are developed, and participants in first-level public works are allowed to join the second-level program.

      In addition, unemployed women mostly believe that they cannot be not registered if they receive unemployment funds. Many are even not aware that the government receives registration forms at all. According to our analysis of employment counselling statistics given by the Action Centers for Women's Unemployment from June and July, 11 % (81 cases out of 735 counselling cases) got jobs in June and this percentage increased to 21 % (126 out of 586 cases) in July after carrying out the women's registration campaign.

   3. Meeting Days with job-seekers

      "I'll hike together this time. I feel very bored when I am alone at home."

      Many women express this sentiment after their unemployment becomes protracted. This occur more easily when they are alone than with when they are with others. Our Action Centers for Women's Unemployment carry out a variety of educationsal programmes under the name of 'a meeting day with job-seekers.' The first project, 'meeting of women householders' is conducted in every center.

      The Pusan Women's Association, one of our regional organization also carries out meetings with jobless unmarried women. We plan to establish meetings with all unemployed women as well as women householders.

   4. Medical assistance activity

      Unemployed women face diverse hardships. Among them, women householders are a group affected the most seriously. Their living circumstances are getting worse. They cannot take care of their health properly, so their families face worsening health problems as well.

      However, in regards to this issue, the government hardly does anything to support them. Our Women's Unemployment Prevention Centers perform health assistance programs with progressive medical practitioners' associations, for women householders and their families to maintain their health although it is still at the minimum level.

   5. Other information provision activity

      'What's that?' 'Is there something that the government can do for job seekers?'

      This is a common reply when I ask people if they know about public works. Very few job-seekers reply "Public work projects are for grammies. Aren't they?" Few applicants know what the 'temporary livelihood proctection project' is, which proves that the publicities involved do not function well.

      Unemployed women know little about the government policies on unemployment or how to apply for employment projects. Action Centers for Women's Unemployment provide various information such as vocational training, loans, and employment securities regarding how to apply for public works or the 'temporary livelihood project,' and how to reduce lunch fees for children at schools.

4. The government's policies for unemployed women should be reformed
   1. Affirmative policy-making and executive power should be strengthened for maintaining employment security.

      Since the establishment of the Action Centers for Women's Unemployment, the government announced that the coverage for employment security will be expanded from October. The government prepared policies for unemployed women such as subsidies for promoting employment for unemployed women, assistance funds for re-employment for jobless women householders, and some job provisions. But these are not sufficient.

      A much higher number of women workers are being fired from the jobs created by the government in the public sector. The government has decided to upgrade subsidies and assistance funds for maintaining employment through reforming the Employment Insurance Act. But it is doubtful how seriously the management can carry out reforms.

      A small amount of subsidies cannot easily achieve this because most capitalists regard restructuring as equivalent to employment restructuring. If massive lay-offs persist, the government's policies such as doles and vocational training programs will face limits. The dole system, public works, and job training programs should be adopted as additional, under the conditions of maximized employment.

   2. Adequate policies and measures should be set up for small and medium sized firms and irregular workers.

      62.7% of women workers are employed in small size whorkshops with four(4) workers. These women confront wage delays and unjust labor controls and are being laid-off under the pretext of restructuring. There are many unregistered workshops amongst these small size factories. The government should require them to registrate by providing benefits such as tax exemption and special protection for small size workshop to ensure that employment insurance is properly given.

   3. The government should prepare long-term, secure and comprehensive unemployment measures.

      The working class has many, many concerns and worries, even though they can join the scheme of public works. Public works only ensure employment for four months at the most. It is not a long-term and secure job alternative. The scheme of public works should be reformed to provide long-term employment for those who can not find jobs.