Past June 18, about 30 people gathered together in front of National Assembly House. They were putting on yellow or blue aprons and bandanas, which made them more passionate and impressive on that strong sunny day.

They were holding hand pickets saying ‘Ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention!' and 'Reform the Labor Standard Act!'

Korean Care workers NGO Network including National Cooperative of House Managers (NCHM) and Korean Women Workers Association held a press conference to demand the Korean government to ratify the convention in celebration of the 1st anniversary of its establishment. In addition, the press conference was also designed to call for the reform of the Labor Standard Act and the amendment of the Industrial Accident Insurance Act and the Employment Insurance Act to protect home care workers, but they couldn't be passed in the past 18th National Assembly.

The press conference started with 'the Action Report for the ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention' by the Park Seung-hee, a president of Women's Committee, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). She said "Uruguay ratified the ILO Domestic Workers Convention in last April, which was the first in the world, and other 13 countries such as Germany and Italy have submitted their proposed convention to their Parliaments." Next, Yoon Hyeryeon, the chairperson of NCHM reported 'legal reform activities for protect home care workers and caregivers for sick people.' She said "In September 2010, we proposed the Hoe-based Care Workers' Legal Protection Act (in the Employment Insurance Act, Industrial Accident Insurance Act, Labor Standard Act and Act related to levying a tax on insurances) but the Home-based Care Workers' Legal Protection Act was automatically rejected because the 18th term of National Assembly was finished. Korean Care workers NGO Network will continue working hard to help pass the act in the 19th term of the National Assembly."

Then, home-based care workers who are experiencing many kinds of accidents and insecure employment spoke their harsh situations. Kim Yongsoon, chairperson of the Korea Domestic Worker's Association and Cha Seung-hee, branch president of Care Workers, belonging to the Korean Healthcare Workers' Trade Union said "home care workers and care givers for the sick are suffering from very poor working conditions, without receiving the minimum social protections." and claimed "The government should protect the rights to work for in-home workers."

After that, participants joined the balloon-popping performances, which means to improve the working conditions and the social awareness of care workers, through the ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention and the reforming of the Labor Standard Act. Lastly, a statement was released to the press.

<Statement>

In celebration of the establishment of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, we strongly demand the Korean government to ratify the convention.

Korean Care workers NGO Network demands the government and 19th terms of the National Assembly to actively ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention and reform the related laws, in order to play an important role in securing the right to work and job security for care workers.

Last year, at the ILO meeting in Geneva, 'ILO Convention on fundamental human rights for domestic workers,' the last crucial issue the international labor society was established by an absolute majority of votes, and so, more than one hundred million home workers became 'decent workers.' Accordingly, the world community established an international standard to protect non-discriminatory rights to work and social protection rights for care workers, equal to other workers.

However, even though a year has been passed by, since the establishment of the ILO Domestic Workers Convention, the Korean government has not talked of the ILO convention or the ways to reform the relevant domestic laws, at all.

In Korea, care workers in the care service sector including home care workers and care givers for the sick rose up to 500,000 persons. However, 300,000 home-based care workers except some working in the formal sector have not received any legal protection. Care workers in the informal sector are suffering from many kinds of hazards and accidents and unemployment, because basic social safety nets such as industrial accident insurance and employment insurance are not applied to them.

This is because the Labor Standard Act doesn't cover home-based care workers, for the government views them as domestic helpers. However, domestic workers are also clearly workers working for wages. Nevertheless, the government is stubborn, under the pretext that domestic workers work at an individual home, a private space, where the government states it is difficult for the government to intervene and it is unclear to determine what relationship domestic workers have. The government insisted that domestic workers are not workers, on the ground of 'Exclusion Clause to domestic helpers,' Article 11 of the 60 year-old Labor Standard Act.

There are increasing demands for care work in the Korean society due to women's social participation and its rapid transition into the aging society. We cannot neglect the fact that the number of home-based care workers comes to 300,000 persons in our society any more, in spite of the government's pretext that they work in the informal sector. The care workers who participate in the government's projects are covered by the Labor Standard Act and Social insurance, which clearly shows that care workers are equally workers.

We firmly demand the government and 19th term of the National Assembly not to leave domestic workers in the indiscreet informal sector. We also demand them to protect the right to work and job security for home-based care workers, through the ratification of ILO Domestic Workers Convention and Reformation of the Labor Standard Act and Social Insurance Act, which can be a good opportunity that new decent jobs are available in our society experiencing a shortage of jobs.

○ The government should ratify the ILO Domestic Workers Convention promptly!!

○ The government should remove the 'exclusion clause to domestic helpers' and apply the Labor Standard Act to home-based care workers!!

○ The government should apply Industrial Accident Insurance Act and Employment Insurance Act to home-based care workers!!

June 18, 2012
Korean Care workers NGO Network

If There Are Many Unhappy Working Moms in Society, None Can Be Happy
- Three urgent tasks for making working women happy

Last May 26, the Statistics Korea released "2012 Women's Lives through Statistics." According to the report, working moms' life satisfaction level is lower than that of housewives. Even though women's social participation has become increasing, the glass ceiling which oppress women still exists in the Korean society.

In addition, Gender Gap Index was increased to 107 amongst 135 countries from 104 last year. We at the Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) and Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) will look at hidden implications in the statistics.

1. Men and women must work and look after family together

Working mom's unhappiness comes from their exclusive responsibility for child care as well as social participation. While housewives having more than two preschoolers usually spend 4 hour 44 a day minutes on taking care of their family, working mom spend similar time on doing so. Moreover, because they have to spend 1 hour and 11 minutes on commuting between their workplace and home, they just manage to go to sleep at midnight. Working moms and their spouses should work together and take care of family together.

However, in Korea, the top country having been working the most hours amongst OECD countries for 14 years, with the average hour worked of 2,256 hour, society for working and caring together is just a pipe dream, because only 2.4% of Korean males took childcare leave. Since husbands are busy working overtime and having a get-together every night, they usually go back home at midnight, and so, working moms cannot ask their husbands to share their household affairs together. Instead, working moms have to take exclusive care of family matters, so-called "having another work at home" amongst Korean women. That is to say, Korean working moms have two jobs at home as well as at work for 24 hours, although they make themselves hated because they have to finish their work to go home on time.

In this style of life, none can be happy: Korean workers who suffer from long working hours, fathers who cannot take care of their family, and working moms who are forced to have two jobs for 24 hours. The exact solution to this difficult question is to look after family together as well as decreasing actual working hours without wage cuts. The social awareness should be upgraded so that women and men can balance family matters and jobs and men have to rights to take care of family matters.

2. Glass Ceiling should be broken

There has been increasing female ratios of National Assembly members, medical or health workers, teachers, public officers and lawyers. However, these statistics shows merely the increasing female participation, but they don't mean to realize gender equality. As of the end of November 2011, women accounted for 14.7% of national assembly members, which was ranked 81 out of 188 target countries. This doesn't reach the world's average of 19.8% and even the average of 18.3% in Asia. In 2012, the percentage rose to 15.7%, 1 % higher than last year.

Additionally, female public officers accounted for 41.8%. However, level 4 comprised 7.2% and level 3, 4.7% and high ranking female public officers accounted for only 2.4%. This shows even the public area where are supposed to have the most gender equality was governed by the rule of glass ceiling. In the case of school teachers, females accounted for 57.6% of all teachers, however, we have to look at the fact that school teachers are traditionally women concentrated jobs. That's because women usually get these jobs owing to job insecurity in the private sector. However, we can also find glass ceiling in this sector. Women's percentage declines rapidly in terms of the number of principals and vice principals.

We are very glad that an increasing number of women are socially active, and we believe it is very cheerful and amazing. However, there are a long journey to go for the society of equality. Especially, we believe it is very difficult to promote women's social status without breaking the glass ceiling.

3. Countermeasures to irregular women workers' issues and low wage issues should be taken rapidly

The statistics didn't point out irregular women workers' issues and their low wage significantly, but we should highlight the percentage of irregular women workers. According to the compositions of workers by employment type announced by the Statistics Korea, paid women workers accounted for 73.6% of women workers, and amongst them, regular workers comprised 37.1% and temporary and day workers 36.6%. However, male paid workers accounted for 70.4% out of the whole male workers, and among them, regular workers comprised 48.9% and temporary and day workers 21.5%. This means women workers are concentrated on irregular jobs. Irregular jobs stand for unstable employment and low wages, namely forming low-income groups in our society. In 2011, the number of income earners making less than the minimum wage was 2,040,000 persons, comprising 9.4% out of the whole workers. However, the women workers' group accounted for 15.2% out of the whole women workers, totalling 1,270,000 persons. In particular, irregular women workers' conditions become more serious. Out of irregular workers, the female low wage group earning less than the minimum wage comprised 23.5% out of the whole irregular women workers, totalling 750,000 women. To stop the irregularization of women and take the initiating role, irregular workers in the public sector should be regularized. In the private sector, the use of irregular workers should also be banned without any special reasons, to stabilize workers' livelihoods.

It is said that women's social participation is important to promote national competitiveness. However, everyday women workers feel as if they join the battlefield raining fire. Women workers try hard to get better. Now, our society and our nation should do their best.

Jeong Moon Ja                                                  Hwang Youngmi
chairperson                                                       president
Korean Women Workers Association                     Korean Women's Trade Union

dated on June 27, 2012

June 7, 2012, at 11 A.M. women and/or labor NGOs calling for the minimum wage of 5,600 won for 2013 held a press conference at the Seoul Station. The press conference was organized by the Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ), a solidarity meeting of women workers' NGOs. Kwon Mee-hyuk, a standing chairperson of Korean Women’s Associations United (KWAU) started her address, saying "The minimum wage should rise to 5,600 won. This is the minimum demand by women workers." She also showed her iron will for the attaining of the minimum wage of 5,600 won an hour.

Next, women workers receiving the minimum wage gave their speeches. Kwon Soon-hee, a cleaning worker at a court said "I work hard, but my wage is very small. I and my family scrape a bare living with less than 1 million won a month. It is difficult to have another hope in such a condition. Although I have had hopes for the minimum wage rise in these seasons, I have let out a deep sigh at the decisions. It is frustrating if we have to have a hard time for another year." She questioned, "What should we do?"

Ha Jo-nam, a subcontracted cleaning worker at Sogang University, receiving the minimum wage claimed "Do you know how much a soup is nowadays? Our hour wage is less than a soup price. Don't you think we, women workers, should be paid as high as we work?" and raised her voice, saying "What is the government doing? Don't you hear women workers' screaming? Listen to our women workers' cries, resentment, and hopes." She resolved to continue her struggles at any cost until the moment when women workers can receive fair and decent wages.

Lastly, all participants joined a card section, 'YES, the minimum wage of 5,600 won!' to show their hope for the minimum wage increase.

<Statement>

“The minimum wage is women's issues and it shows the quality of our society."

Now, we demand the minimum wage of 5,600 won per hour which will be applied in 2013. In our society, women's labor is marginalized to maintain the existing status quo. Korea has the biggest wage gap between men and women amongst 30 OECD countries, and two Korean women out of 3 are irregular workers.

According to the statistics in 2012, regular women workers receive 66.3% of male regular workers' wages, and what is worse, irregular women workers' wages accounted for 39.6%. In addition, the income bracket receiving less than the minimum wage accounted for 9.4% in 2011, with their total number of 2,040,000 persons. Especially, irregular workers have been getting more serious problems. Irregular women who receive less than the legal minimum wage totalled 750,000 persons, accounting for 23.5% out of the whole irregular women workers. In fact, shockingly, one irregular women worker out of 4 receive less than the minimum wage. Further, the number of low-income women irregular workers has been increasing. While male irregular workers shrank by 18,000 persons, female irregular workers increased by 85,000 persons last year. This shows the minimum wage issues are Korean female workers' issues.

In practice, workers received the minimum wage of 4,580 won per hour in 2012, which means they received just 950,000 won although they worked for 209 hours a month based on 8 hour work a day. This amount doesn't compete the average price (5,378 won) of a noodle in the 16 cities across the nation.

A minimum wage level demonstrates a perspective of a country on labor, especially women's work. Don't you, the Korean government know the minimum wage of 5,600 won is the minimum demands of women workers?

In relation to the ratio of women members, only 6 women members out of 27 are working in the Minimum Wage Committee, composed by 9 respectively from the Tripartite Commission. There are three women public committee, two from the workers' side and only one woman committee from the company side. We believe the number of women commissioner from the public and the company sides as well as that from the workers' side should rapidly increase. Further, a legal enforcement is needed: one gender should not excel 60% in the tripartite commission. What is the important is that the government should settle in the crippled operation of the Minimum Wage Committee, since both of the Korean umbrella trade unions don't join the committee as committee members, caused by the one-sided and deflective appointing of committee members.

In addition, according to Article 1 of the Minimum Wage Act, the minimum wage system aims for 'guaranteeing the minimum level of wage and stabilizing livelihood and improving the quality of labor for workers, which is designed to make contribution to the sound development of national economy.' However, the law excludes in-home workers from its coverage, which is seriously against the purpose of the legislation. We believe it should be reformed along with Article 11 of the Labor Standard Act (the scope of application), and so the minimum wage can be applied to all the care workers including care givers for the sick and specially employed workers.

We confirm the minimum wage is women workers' crucial issue. We proclaim we should take solidarity action for obtaining the minimum wage of 5,600 won for 2013.

Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs
Dated on June 7, 2012

  Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) is a solidarity meeting of women workers' NGOs which aim to take action and find alternatives of women workers' issues and work hard to improve the Korean society for women to happily balance their jobs and family matters, consisting of Korean Womenlink, Korean Women’s Associations United, Korean Women Workers Association, Federation of Korean Trade Unions, Women Corea, Korean Women's Trade Union, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Woman Labor Law Support Center, Women's Committee of Lawyers for Democratic Society, and ALLTOGETHER.

In 2011 the Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) launched the 'Laying up Many Pennies' campaign, with its 11 branch members. The 'Laying up Many Pennies' campaign aimed to help poor Indian women to sustain their livelihoods through supporting cows and goats.

To help poor Indian women, our members at the KWWA and its 11 branches had tried to save money for instant coffees and bus fares. We saved 3,000,000 won.

The Korea Hope Foundation where we donated 3,000,000 won, gave us a good news that they had distributed livestock to the total number of 20 households consisting of 5 households respectively, living in each of 4 villages including the lowest class, Dalit and other minorities, in the Dakili Region.

We hope to weave living and vivid hopes more than just money itself, even in other countries. We hope to spread the seeds of our hopes to the Indian women living in another world. We are also looking forward to the moment when we can send another hope, after saving hopeful pennies. We are very glad that we let you know this happy and warm message.

[Press Material] We are asking to 19th term National Assembly candidates:
What have you been preparing for women workers?
(131 candidates answered to 21 questions)

- Saenuri Party has the lowest rate of agreement

- A high number of candidates agree to maternity rights of irregular women workers

- Women's affirmative action comes in the last

We at the Korean Women Workers Association and its 11 branches and the Korean Women's Trade Union and its nationwide 10 branches received the total number of 131 replies from candidates for 19th term National Assembly, after sending a written policy inquiry consisting of 21 questions in the areas of jobs in the public sector, irregular women workers and employment discrimination against women.

I63 candidates from the Democratic United Party (DUP) (accounting for 48.1%), 25 candidates from the Unified Progressive Party (UPP) (comprising 19.4%) and 24 candidates from Saenuri Party (accounting for 18.6%) answered our inquiries.

Candidates showed the highest agreement on the maternity right of irregular women workers
Candidates had 95.4% of agreement to this issue. Most candidates seemed to consider maternity rights of irregular workers very serious. That is because one of the biggest problem in our society is low birth rate. No candidate was against this issue.

Women's jobs and the introduction of paternity leave come in joint second place
Candidates showed the second highest agreement on the issues of women's jobs and the introduction of paternity leave. Why the two issues are ranked joint second is that childcare became a hot potato in this society and there became higher social awareness of the protection of paternity right. In regard to women's jobs, there are other comments. Candidate Kang Ki-jung belonging to the DUP commented "220,000 jobs can be created in the areas of medical & health, silver health care and recuperation." Jung Ho-jun from the DUP viewed women's labor market rather smaller, compared to our view that the women's labor market can be increased 1.5 times higher than now.

Affirmative action comes in the last one
Candidates showed their lowest agreement on affirmative action for women and there were also a lot of disagreement on this issue. 75% agreed to this issue but 7 % disagreed and 12.5% made other comments about this issue, which was ranked the bottom. That is because of the possibility of reverse discrimination against men.

However, in our society, high ranking women public officers accounted for 7.4% working in the headquarters, and 4.9% at branches. In addition, only 1.3% of executives of 10 top companies were women. This shows women's marginality and under-representation in the society.

In the case of Norway, affirmative action for women excelled 40%, which broke the glass ceiling. In addition, the French parliament passed a law that women should comprise 40% of company executives. Many European countries such as Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy, Germany and Holland have already implemented women's affirmative action that women should comprise 40%, and similar laws are under positive consideration. Affirmative action for women is an employment equality strategy that many countries have adapted.

Other comments regarding this item are like this: Affirmative action for women should be implemented steadily (Jung Ho-jun, the DUP; Song Jin-sup, the Saenuri Party; Kim Man-kyoon, standing as an independent; and Min Hong-Chol, the DUP); and Lee Sung-hun (belonging to the Saenuri Party steered the middle course, saying "I agreed to the purpose of affirmative action that it guarantees the protection of women's social participation. However, I think it is necessary to consider public opinions carefully." Candidate Cha Young (the DUP) insisted that legal reform is necessary to increase cultural awareness rather than artificial and compulsory affirmative action, but she didn't explain anything about the details of the legal reform.

The second bottom one was to regularize irregular women workers' positions in the public sector. This issue gained 83.1% agreement. Why candidates showed a low agreement is that is related to budget problems. However, this issue is very crucial to women workers, because most of irregular workers are women. 61.8% of women were irregular workers, compared to 40.2% of all male workers (as of August 2011). The regularization of irregular women workers' positions in the public sector should be started rapidly to expand the effects to the private sector.

The second last one is that women workers can legally refuse working while being fully paid, when sexual harrassment occurs. The existing law doesn't regulate any detailed and active protection by company owners for victims. That's why many women workers usually quit their jobs as soon as sexual harassment takes place. However, this issue has not been socially aware yet, so it didn't seem to gain high consensus from candidates. However, Women workers' NGO have to continue raising this issue and it is necessary to protect the victims of sexual harassment.

Saenuri Party has the lowest rate of agreement according to party analysis
According to party analysis, only 7 candidates from the Saenuri Party agreed to all issues, accounting for 29.2%, and independent candidates came in the second last, accounting for 63.6% (7 persons), and DUP was ranked the third bottom one, accounting for 66.7% (42 persons). However, in the case of the UPP, 24 persons out of 25 answerers agreed to all the questions, which is clear comparison with the Saenuri Party (7 candidates out of 24 respondents agreed all questions). In addition, although New Jinbo Party was a very small group (5 persons), all of them agreed to all the issues.

66.4% candidates show all of their agreement
Out of 131 respondents, 87 people showed their agreement to all the questions, accounting for 66.4%.

Candidates show their different colors of opinions
Candidates for 19th term National Assembly sent their different opinions. Chun Ho-sun (UPP) showing his essay-style answers said "I will legalize the resume of equality without showing any sex, age and academic records." "It should be compulsory to guarantee 30% of women executives in all public sector and public companies," and "I will enact 'Discrimination Ending Act' and introduce the pregnancy leave after adding the reasons for pregnancy."

Lee No-keun (Saenuri Party), a man of forthright view answered to some questions, saying "I haven't thought over it," "I think I should study this issue."

A candidate tried to appeal to us. Cho Hyun-jye (DUP) sent a long letter, saying he agreed the issues basically, but he hasn't prepared for them yet. So he was not able to answer properly. He also promised to "make women workers' issues foremost policies if he was elected, after saying that he was not good enough because it was the first time to him.

Ahn Hong-jun (Saenuri party) and Lee Joo-young (Saenuri party) were classified as others, because the two candidates showed the colors of their clear opinions about almost all questions. They put a lot of additional comments. For example, Ahn Hong-jun showed his agreement in regard to <7. Regularizing all the irregular women workers in the public sector>, but he presumed that various approaches for obtaining budgets and social consensus are needing. Candidate Lee Joo-young also didn't make any promise, just saying that he would review comprehensively and implement steadily. They had served two and three terms. Meanwhile, Chon Jung-bae (DUP) and Lee Mi-kyung (DUP) who had served 4 terms showed their consensus to all the questions. Hong Jun-pyo (Saenuri Party) is tricky. He called us, to check what other candidates had answered, and delayed his answers and finally he didn't send his reply.

KWWA and KWTU will have been working hard to push the elected to keep their promises and create a happy society for women workers.

Appendix 1. The content of our questionnaire

1. Women's jobs in the care service sector (public sector)

1) Increasing decent women's jobs by 2 times higher, which is the average level of OECD countries (about 1 million jobs should be increased for 5 years);

2) The government is in charge of making care service jobs, facilities and provision system public, and providing all people the right to be cared;

3) the ensuring of job security and suitable wages (80% of average wages of workers) in order to make care service jobs sustainable;

4) The ILO Domestic Workers Convention should be ratified promptly;

5) Domestic helper should be excluded from the exemption clause. The government should recognize the right to work for in-home workers (the reforming of the Labor Standard Act); and,

6) In-home workers should be covered by employment insurance, and industrial accident insurance, and their social insurance should be supported.

2. Irregular women workers

7) Regularizing all the irregular women workers in the public sector;

8) The introduction of limiting the use of irregular workers (reforming the fixed term workers Act);

9) Decreasing the size of irregular women workers to 30%;

10) Encouraging irregular women workers to join social insurance and expanding supports for them (expanding all companies to cover the workers receiving 130% compared to the Minimum Wage);

11) Recognizing indirect employment in the mother company and having direct employment in the public sector;

12) Reforming labor related laws in order to recognize the right to work for specially employed workers (home study teacher and golf caddies); and

13) Covering part-time workers working less than 15 hours by the Labor Standard Act

3. Employment discrimination

14) Regulating the minimum wage to 50% of workers' average wage (Reforming the Minimum Wage Act);

15) Introducing the Affirmative Action for women (allocation of 30% to women in the public sector, 20% in the company and private sector);

16) Regularizing women's right to refuse working when sexual harassment takes place, and giving full payment to women workers during their refusal period;

17) Guaranteeing maternity leave and parental leave for irregular women workers;

18) Introducing paternity leave to activate male's child caring;

19) Increasing the wage ceiling for maternity leave and parental leave;

20) Providing public helper for parturient women, home care workers and childcare workers for single parents and two paycheck low wage couple; and,

21) Increasing national and public childcare center by 30%

Appendix 2. distribution of response by question (unit: %)