2011.10.12  No.20

<Working environment improvement campaign to find a balance between work and family>

This is the picture of today. The female employment activity rate in South Korea is the lowest among OECD, and its graph is curved like a capital 'M', which cannot be seen in any other country but South Korea and Japan. The M-curve indicates  that female workers tend to quit when they have a baby to take care of and do not begin to work again until the child hass sufficiently grown. The rate of female regular workers from ages 30 to 34 amounted to 57.9% last August, while more than two thirds of the entire female workforce are in temporary positions. The 30 to 34 age group comprises of the biggest portion of women regular workers among all other age groups, though it is nowhere near 69.1%, the rate of male regular worker at the same age. However, when women reach their forties,  the rate falls sharply to 33.8%. This is thought to be because they try once more  to look for employment,, but this time as a non-regular worker. more>>

<"Raise the minimum wage from 4,320 won to 5,410 won." -- the Minimum Wage Raising Campaign by KWWA>

Laborers, whose wage is always the lowest bidding price,

Young workers, barely making ends meet by working part time,

Service workers in convenience stores, gas stations and so on, whose hourly wage is determined by the minimum wage,

The workers under a subcontract, whose wage is under the minimum wage.

The 450 million low-paid workers who are suffering from the preposterous minimum wage all over the country.

One would hardly be able to have a proper meal with the current hourly minimum wage, which is only one third of the average wage. As a result, South Korea is dishonored to be the first nation among the OECD in terms of the rate of low-paid workers and inequality in wages. It has turned out that 196 million workers are paid even less than the minimum wage last August; furthermore, 61.5% of them are female and only 5.7% are regular workers. Therefore, we can argue that the minimum wage issue directly related to the matter of temporary workers and women workers.more>>

<"Celebrating the adoption of the Domestic Workers Protection Agreement from the 100th ILO general meeting" – the need for the South Korean government to ratify>

“The Domestic Workers Protection Agreement,” which was considered as the last important issue of the international labor community, was passed by a majority at the 100th International Labor Organization general meeting on the 16th of June, with 396 votes in favor, 63 in abstention, and only 16 against.

We at the Solidarity for Care Workers' Legal Protection are very glad to hear that the domestic workers protection agreement was taken up by the international community and especially that the South Korean government is for the agreement, taking seriously the 300,000 domestic workers' demand. Now is the time for the South Korean government to ratify.

The 300,000 domestic workers have yearned for equal treatment as  respectable workers as well as basic benefits such as occupational health and safety insurance. They have been shunned from every kind of legal protection and social acknowledgement due to the prejudice that their labor is merely domestic and relevant only to women. Accordingly, domestic workers and civil labor organizations have been taking action for the amendment of the domestic law and ILO agreement since 2010.more>>

    <The Forum: “The Balance Between Work & Life, the Justifiable Right of People”>

The forum, “The Balance Between Work & Life, the Justifiable Right of People,” was held by KWWA, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the revision of the Maternity Protection Act, on the 29th of June at Seoul Women's Plaza. There has been a need for a solution to the fact that it was bound to females and has generated other problems like the increase of caring responsibility.

At the very beginning, the first speaker Kim Yeongok pointed out that a policy for a balance between work and life bound only to women has caused gender discrimination of labor and has strengthened the division of labor by gender. According to her, the solution is to map out a sustainable, long term plan, not bread and circuses policies. Her other claim was that in order to dissolve the divided labor structure by gender, we should consider the problem of child-care. She also suggested that commercialization of labor and an escape of caring responsibility from the family are required for women, and the exact opposite for men. She underlined the importance of a community-based economic activity and the imaginative power for it. Lastly, she added that we need a new working environment, a new a new standard for the quality of life, and a new way of living to fix the chronic problem of dehumanization at work.more>>

                                                                                            2011.1.26  No.18

<A Proclamation of 591 Social Leaders Urging the Samsung Electronics to Take the Responsibility of Laborers’ Occupational Disease>

“No More Victims in the Samsung Electronics”

In 2003, Yoo-Mee Hwang, a third-year student at Sokcho High School, was employed just before her graduation at the Samsung Electronics’ Semiconductor Plant in Giheung. She participated in the defusion process dipping wafer - a thin slice of semiconductor material - into compounds such as hydrogen peroxide and ammonium sulfide. Ji-Youn Park was also employed at Samsung Semiconductor Plant in Onyang. Unable to proceed with her study in college, she had no choice but to start working prior to high school graduation. This eighteen-year-old girl worked in the examination process handling lead solvent and other chemicals. Their pride of working in a leading corporation in South Korea withered away very soon. Both of these young girls got Acute Myeloid Leukemia after two years of work in the corporation and passed away in 2007 and 2010.

While South Korea’s gross national income per capita exceeded 20,000 U.S. dollars in 2007, adolescents from poor families are still under pressure of getting a job soon after mid-school or high-school graduation. Shoe and clothing industries in 1970s have changed into high-tech clean industries such as semiconductor and LCD, but laborers are still in danger of death from hundreds of toxic chemicals used in IT products.

Several years have passed since the laborers working at the Samsung Electronics’ Semiconductor Plants in Giheung and Onyang became victims of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Nothing has been done, however, for their industrial injury treatment and compensation. The danger of working in these high-tech industries has increasingly been revealed after the continuing social exposure of the deaths of the Samsung Electronics’ laborers. According to the Supporters of Health and Rights of People in Semiconductor Industry (SHARPS), over 100 laborers got lethal disease including leukemia, lymphoma, and brain tumor and 31 have already passed away. Although a further systematic examination is needed for confirming the causes of these deaths, this approximate number of victims in a single corporation is already an alarming signal to the society.

Afraid of harming its image, Samsung has denied its responsibility and rejected to provide injury compensation for its laborers. The governmental branches under charge of industrial safety and accidents such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, and the Korean Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service are putting emphasis on industrial security over laborers’ rights. As the Samsung Electronics and the South Korean government shirk their responsibilities and as our society disregard the people who actually make the fascinating smart phone and maintain high speed internet, the laborers who devoted their lives to the Samsung Electronics are taking occupational disease and passing away without proper treatment.  more>>

                                                                                            2010.7.30  No.17

<“Please, address me as a house manager not auntie” - Simultaneous campaigns across the country for improving the social cognition of housekeeping service workers>

They are housekeeping service workers taking care of housework and caring which were considered as unpaid work in the family. As a vacuum in housekeeping and caring at home has been made because of increasing economic activities of women, the rapid aging of our society, change of the family types, and so on, they fill up the vacuum. There are 160,000 housekeeping service workers as of 2007 according to the Economically Active Population Survey of the National Statistical Office. However, their actual number is probably much more than 160,000 if we consider the number of housekeeping and caring service workers in the informal sector which does not show up in statistics..  more>>

<Revival of the economy of ordinary people should start from
a raise of the minimum wage.>

Women workers spoke out loudly in front of the National Assembly at Yeouido on June 9 in spite of hot weather. A campaign of women’s labor groups was organized to gain the minimum hourly wage of 5,180 won for the year 2010. The Win-Win Women’s Action hosted the campaign and about 100 women workers from Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, and Daegu gathered with only a wish of the raise of the minimum wage.

The campaign began with an opening speech of Ms. NamYoon Insoon, KWAU standing representative. Participants sang a song of the minimum wage with modified lyrics of “twist of love” from time to time during the campaign. Ms. Kwak Jeongsuk, a member of the National Assembly, gave a solidarity speech and said, “At least one member of the committee on the minimum wage should be a minimum wage worker so that the committee will be able to understand minimum wage workers. more>>

<Campaign “Project for Happiness of Working Moms” on the occasion of Equal Employment Week in April>

The KWWA and its 11 branches organized a campaign “Project for Happiness of Working Moms” on the occasion of Equal Employment Week in April. Every region had a meaningful time to publicize an interrupted career problem due to triple burdens of pregnancy, childbirth, and childcare with topics of ‘work and care together’ and ‘for the society enabling us to achieve a balance between work and family,’ and to think its alternatives. Particularly, this campaign was conducted with unified contents as the KWWA had made promotion materials such as a parody of the soap opera “Chasing runaway slaves” and a UCC video clip and distributed them to regions. more>>

                                                  <Change by Participation>

The 1st Women Labor Forum: what will we do regarding local and educational autonomy?

The Korean Women's Trade Union (KWTU) and the KWWA organized the 1^st Women’s Labor Forum in the basement education room at 2:00 pm on April 16 in order to discuss our responses to local and educational autonomy in relation with the June nationwide local election.

The forum had two topics: ‘the understanding of local autonomy and regional policy’ by Mr. Ha Seungsu, a steering committee member of “Ieum” (a grassroots autonomy institute) and ‘the project making an education city where children are happy’ by Mr. An Seungmun, an executive committee co-chairperson of the Education Network for Hope. It discussed ‘a role of women workers in the era of local and educational autonomy.’ more>>

<The 26th Korean Women’s Convention under the theme of “make our hope real with women’s participation” in commemoration of the International Women’s Day!>

The convention was held under the theme of “make our hope real with women’s participation” in the auditorium of Ewha Womans University on March 6.

It urged women’s participation and the need of the society’s constant concern and support for ‘a gender equality community with a woman’s vote,’ ‘a society where people work and care together,’ and ‘a society without poverty and violence.’

The ‘Colorful Free Market’ was held before the convention in front of the auditorium. Participating organizations prepared various booths to publicize their agenda, to increase membership, and to fund raise by selling products of self-support communities.

The convention started at 2:00 pm with about 1,000 participants. It was presided over by Actor Kwon Haeyo, public relations ambassador for the Korean Women’s Association United (KWAU), and Ms. Choe Gwanggi, professional master of ceremonies. An opening speech was given by Ms. NamYoon Insoon, KWAU standing representative, and Ms. Park Youngmi, KWAU co-representative. They said, “Let us make a beautiful solidarity by overcoming sarcasm and division, and understanding and embracing each other’s differences with open minds. Let us make our hope real with our participation. We wish to meet you where hope is formed and reality is changed.”  >>more

<“Unstable Jobs” – Press Conference of the Win-Win Women’s Action in commemoration of the International Women’s Day 2010>

The press conference was held by “the Win-Win Women’s Action to save the people’s livelihood and jobs” in front of the National Assembly at Yeouido at 11:00 on March 3 in commemoration of the International Women’s Day. It urged the job security of women with the topic of “unstable jobs”.

Recently the South Korean government brought forward various measures to encourage childbirth such as a so-called ‘purple job’ (a part-time job) aimed at enabling women workers to achieve a balance between work and family. (Note: The Ministry of Gender Equality and Family explains the color purple combines red, a feminine color, and blue, a masculine color, and thus symbolizes gender equality and harmony between work and family.) The government does not pay attention to the reality that a large number of women have fallen into unemployment and poverty, but considers the low birthrate problem as the most serious matter and approaches employment policy geared to promoting childbirth. About 70% of women workers are irregular worker and most of them work for a minimum wage. Maternity leave and childcare leave for them is all just pie in the sky. Therefore it is doubtful they can live on the purple job. >>more

                                                                                            2009.12.31  No.16

<A press conference to call for job countermeasures for women from vulnerable classes driven out onto the verge of unemployment >

On December 10, 2009, A ‘press conference to oppose the decrease in budget for social service jobs and call for job countermeasures for women from vulnerable classes’ was hosted by the Korean Care workers NGO Network (composed of by KWWA, People's Solidarity Against Unemployment, Woman Resources Development Centers, Korean Association of Self Sufficiency Promotion, and YMCA Korea).

The Ministry of Labor handed in a budget bill for 2010 which shows large reduction in its supports to social public jobs to 148.7 billion won, by 21.1% compared to those for 2009. Owing to such a reduction plan, the existing social public job projects were mostly excluded and eliminated in the process of the examination and re-examination of social public job projects which have been undertaken since December. As a result, the actual 2 year projects to support social enterprises are left out or have to largely reduce their necessary personnel just around the point of 1 year fulfillment of these projects.  more>>

<Women’s jobs-and-childcare budgets for 2010 should be like this!!>

On the past November 27, We at Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) hosted a forum entitled ‘Women’s jobs-and-childcare budgets for 2010 should be like this’ in the Hall of Congressmen.

The National Assembly has currently carried out examination on budgets by sector. This forum was held in the Hall of Congressmen with the help from the office of Rep. Kim Sang-hee of the Democratic Party, in order to let National Assembly members to know our opinions directly.

In the greetings, Kim Sang-hee, a National Assembly member mentioned the forum was meaningful because it is held in a right time when political parties were arguing about budgeting, especially related to people.  She emphasized the need for uniting women’s circle and people to fight with the government’s anti-people and anti-women policies. more>>

<Women workers, meet social economy based on reciprocity and solidarity>

On the past November 18, we at the KWWA held a workshop entitled ‘Women workers, meet social economy based on reciprocity and solidarity’ in its underground training center.

Through her presentation, Lim Youn Ok introduced our social public job projects and social economic activities that we at the KWWA have practiced to tackle women’s unemployment and poverty issues increasing under the strong wind of neo-liberalism for 10 years from the Korean economic crisis in 1989 up to the current economic crisis. Our social economic activities include social enterprises, community coin movement, and credit union activities. The social economy is generally defined as ‘social economic activities carried out not by companies or nations but by the 3^rd sector such as nongovernmental organizations or foundations to realize the social purpose for benefiting communities’. more>>

                      <Debate forum with Dr. Christine Bergmann,
                                former Minister of Women,  Germany>

On the past November 18, the KWWA invited Dr. Christine Bergmann, former Minister of Women of Germany and held a debate forum with her on the theme of Neo-liberalism and women’s policies, focusing on measures on women irregular workers between Korea and Germany. The forum was begun with the keynote presentation by Dr. Christine Bergmann who visited Korea to share German experiences and to grasp situations of Korean women workers. She started her address saying “I am surprised that many young women join this meeting together.” Dr. Bergmann from the former East Germany was a former Minister of Family, Elderly, Women and Youth when a progressive government under Prime Minister Schroeder came into power in Germany, and currently has been working as a director of The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

Dr. Bergmann said “ Germany and  Korea did not reach the state of ‘paradise’ in relation to women’s work.” She described as ‘paradise,’ an ideal state in which women and men both can work and live happily. It is women who make up most irregular workers in Korea and take ‘insecure jobs’ in  Germany. both. In the case of Germany, women had a hard time due to their low wages and long working hours like us in  Korea. In the former  East Germany. women’s employment rate reached up to 90% before the unification, which shows women’s active role as major income earners.

After the unification with  West Germany in which males are considered as major bread winners, there has been no change in the male employment rate, but there have been a lot of differences in women’s cases: That was due to the job distribution between women not the job distribution between men and women. more>>

<A press conference by women’s society to support the struggles of the two umbrella trade unions: oppose a ban on paying full-time unionists and unified negotiation window of multiple unions!>

Date and venue: at 10:30amon November 12, 2009, in front of the tent strike placed in front of the National Assembly.

The government and the ruling party announced the immediate enforcement of the Trade Union Act and the Labor Relation Mediation Act which prohibit full time unionists from being paid and the unified negotiation window in case of the introduction of multiple workshop-based trade union system.

In last April, the ILO recommended to solve the issues related to wages of fulltime unionists through the autonomous and voluntary agreement between workers and users. Nevertheless, the government spread the distorted truth that ‘there is no country where companies pay full time unionists’ in order to ‘terminate the Korean labor movement.’more>>

                                                                                    2009.12.2  No.15

<Emptying and recharging for tomorrow: leadership enhancement training for middle-ranking activists>

We at the KWWA provided leadership enhancement training for middle-ranking activists entitled ‘Emptying and recharging for tomorrow’ for 3 days between October 29 and 31, 2009 at the Jirisan  Mountain.

Approximately 20 full-time activists who have been working over 2 years had a good chance to reckon on our structure and take a rest for better tomorrow on the title of good rest and introspection.

Above all, we had good talks about life, peace and living in the community with Monk Dobup from the Silsangsa Temple.  There is its thread of connections with our vision, ‘equality, peace~’, helping us to think over and find solutions. more>>

<Press conference to demand to enact rice aid to North Korea>

On October 22, 2009, women’s and environmental groups including KWWA, KWAU, Women Corea, and Korea Federation for Environmental Movement held a press conference to demand the government to “enact rice aid for North Korea in order to tackle the decreasing rice price,” in front of the Ministry of Unification.

Women farmers shaved their heads to demand the government to guarantee the price of rice and also went on a sit-in strike in front of the National Assembly. A woman farmer pleaded for supports to Korean farmers, saying “Many people ignored us when we tried to distribute our leaflets.  People think it is only Korean farmers’ matter, but at last it will be all ours.”

Women’s organizations and environmental groups demanded the government to ensure constant rice farming to Korean farmers, since rice related issues are matters on our sovereignty and all of our matters. They pointed out the needs to resume rice aids to North Korea and further, the prompt enactment of the aids. more>>

<National women’s day of action for decreasing the budget on 4 major river restoration and increasing livelihood-and-welfare related budgets>

On past October 17, we gathered for ‘National women’s day of action for decreasing the budget for 4 major river restoration and increasing livelihood-and-welfare related budgets’ in Seoul.

We, full-time workers and members from women’s organizations in the Seoul Metropolitan area got together and publicized our demands on decreasing the budget on 4 major river restoration and increasing budgets on public livelihoods and welfares, dressed up cutely with various tools including hand pickets.

We started the rally, tapping djembe, African drums and shouting ‘Stop deducing taxes of the rich’ and ‘Stop the 4 major river restoration project.’  Although our tapping was not so excellent, our rhythmic sounds from the djembe made us joyous.

The opening speech made by Jeong Moon-Ja, chairperson of KWWA was followed by the comments entitled “Women have talks about budgets for 2010.” A reserve teacher who is employed as a temporary teacher denounced governmental policies and budget on women’s jobs: she complained about poor working conditions of temporary administrative workers working at schools because schools do not give proper tasks and positions to them; and she also revealed the sad reality that the government has continued to employ only temporary (4 month-fixed) teachers instead of regular teachers although the number of regular teachers is in great shortage. In addition, a university student let us know her agonies caused by her high university tuition fees and unemployment rates among the young. President of the Pucheon branch of the NCHM also insisted on the application of 4 social insurances so as to provide job security for care workers. more>>

                      <Forum: Increasing care jobs, but hidden sexual harassment >

On October 13, 2009, a forum entitled ‘Increasing care jobs, but hidden sexual harassment’ was hosted. There are increasing social demands on care jobs, and also women are concentrated in this sector.  The KWWA did research on sexual harassment against care workers as a mean of encouraging care workers to obtain their rights to work. We at the KWWA shared pains and difficulties of sexual harassment victims in practice and urged the government to prepare for sexual harassment prevention polices and legal solutions through the forum.

The presentation on sexual harassment against care workers was followed by discussion by a researcher, women workers in the workplaces, and officers from the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs, and after that, very active and dynamic discussions were carried out amongst the audience.  A variety of good ideas came out to share tough situations of care workers and to prevent and regulate practical measures on sexual harassment. The forum was assessed as a good chance to share seriousness of sexual harassment against care workers and to discuss active solutions by many local care work-related groups. more>>

                                                                                            2009.11.13  No.14

<Skyrocketing commodity prices and decreasing welfare budgets

make us sad!!>

On September 30, 2009, right around the corner of the Choosuk holiday, Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) held 'a women's press conference to demand to increase welfare budget for 2010' in front of the Seoul KTX Station.
 

In spite of the difficult situation in which commodity prices have been rising rapidly and people's daily lives have become harder, a national holiday, Choosuk is around the corner in this year.  Recently, the press has reported that  Korea is one of the leading groups that overcome the economic crisis and that we have to seek for exits to leap forward. more>>

<Don’t be discouraged because you have struggled for one year. 
We have struggled for 25 years. >

On September 24, 2009, it became a year after 88CC golf caddies started their strike. In front of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair, golf caddies got together, showing “We want to work,” and women and/or labor activists joined them. The press conference and the struggle resolution rally, organized by Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) on that day, were to withdraw unfair dismissals of the golf caddies and to demand on their prompt reinstatement.

88 Country Club (88CC), a company entrusted by the Ministry has continued its unfair labor practices suppressing legal golf caddies’ trade union since past June, 2008. In September, 2008, the company dismissed a union member and decided the unlimited job suspensions of 53 unionists. Moreover, the company has dismissed 58 women workers including 3 union executives and decided the unlimited job suspensions of two union members even in 2009. During the past fall, winter, spring, summer, and this fall again, the golf caddies have continued their struggles for their rights to survive so far at the 88CC, in front of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair, in streets, in the court, and at the labor offices. However, the company and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affair still turn their deaf ears to the women workers. more>>

<To overcome pains in the era, and overcome the tragedy of the history>

On past September 21, 2009, the KWWA and Martyr Kim Kyeongsook Commemoration Society in cooperation prepared for the 30^th special memorial events for commemorating the Martyr Kim Kyeongsook.  The events included a symposium, screening a film in commemoration, simple refreshment to share food of the 1970s, and memorial service, in the order named.
 

Kang In-soon, a professor in the Sociology department of the Kyeongnam University had a key presentation entitled women workers of the 1970s and the Korean democratic labor movement.  She made a presentation about the necessity for re-assessing the labor movement in the 1970s led by women workers working in the light industry, insisting “today irregular employment is very widely spread, and women workers are the majority of irregular workers in  Korea. To take this into consideration, women workers should be the main pillar of the democratic labor movement.” more>>

                      <30^th Memorial Service for Martyr Kim Kyeongsook >

On past August 11, 30^th memorial service for Martyr Kim Kyeongsook was held. In the rainy day, we at the KWWA had the solemn memorial service with YH Association, 70s' Democratic Workers' Association, and activists living in the Seoul metropolitan area.

The YH incident (the death of Martyr Kim Kyeongsook) was both major labor incidents with the death of Martyr Cheon Tae-il in the 1970s in Korea. This incident led loss of the seat of the opposition party’s head in the National assembly and then, a democratic movement by the citizens of Pusan and Masan areas, which sparked the termination of the Yushin dictatorial regime.

On September 21, 2009, in celebration of her 30^th anniversary, YH Association and KWWA jointly prepared for special events. They included a documentary film for commemorating the Martyr Kim Kyeongsook, which had been prepared for 1 year, a symposium and other memorial services. more>>

<Don’t let them die any more. They’re also ‘humans!’ >

On an extremely sunny day, July 24, 2009, in front of the National Police Agency, the Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) held a press conference to tackle the issue peacefully and through communication, after hearing the news that public power will be imminently exercised at the Ssangyong Motor. However, the police surrounded WADLJ activists very tightly and demanded them to hold a press conference in front of the Records Department, instead.  In response, mothers from the Minkahyup were so furious because they have held press conferences in front of the main gate so far. We at the WADLJ raised questions why we have to hold a press conference in front of but Records Department not the main gate: and the police attempted to undermine the importance of the issues of Ssangyong Motor’s workers. We had serious argument with the police and finally, we had negotiation with the police and finally held the press conference at the spot in the middle. more>>

‘Unity, coexistence, and leaping forward!! Powerful executives get together here overnight!’ 2009’s membership training for integrated executives

Between past July 18 and 19, membership training for integrated executives were held at Seosan, on the title of ‘unity, coexistence, and leaping forward!! Powerful executives get together here overnight!' Up to 160 staff persons from 11 branches and KWWA’s annexed organizations took part in the membership training! You can for sure imagine that their actions and passions can high enough to change their communities and consolidate and strengthen the structures of KWWA.

The membership training was carried out at the beach for the first time in the herstory of 20 years of the KWWA, in order to overcome barriers of regions and fields and to reinforce our solidarity amongst KWWA’s executives through far better communication and unity.more>>

                                                                                            2009.8.25  No.13

<The government and the Grand National Party should listen to cries of irregular workers>

On June 25, 2009, in front of the government building at the Kwangwhamoon, Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) held a press conference to emphasize that the government and the Grand National Party, the ruling party should stop the 3 year deferment of the Temporary Employee Protection Act which they have proposed, because it pushes irregular workers into far deeper abyss of despair. Currently, the Grand National Party claims that the 3 year deferment of the Temporary Employee Protection Act should be an alternative for dismissed irregular workers, but that is against all reason.  Rather, the public sector which should have taken the lead in the regularization of irregular workers, has attempted to dismiss irregular workers. The government is like a parent who discards a malformed newborn baby. more>>

<You cut down the minimum wage? Get blood out of a stone!>

On June 25, 2009, a rally was held all day long in front of the Minimum Wage Committee although it was really hot.  Most participants are middle aged women.  It was the final official day to decide the minimum wage for the next year.

From 5 o’clock, the KWTU organized ‘a rally of women subcontracted workers to win 1,070,000 won minimum wage,’ which WADLJ sponsored. About 300 unionists working at outsourcing companies participated in the rally, starting the rally singing a changed popular song.

In her address, Park Namhee, president of KWTU blamed the management for its persistent insistence of the reduction by 4% and suggested to change the conservative policy stance of the current government by continuing the minimum wage struggle to local elections which will be held next year. Lee Kang-sil, a chairperson of Women Corea who gave a solidarity address criticized the policy stance of the current government briskly and strongly, after mentioning the current labor matters including the minimum wage and the Temporary Employee Protection Act. more>>

<Public authorities at the head in dismissing irregular workers>

On July 14, 2009, 'Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs’ (WADLJ) hosted ‘a rally for denouncement of the dismissals of irregular workers working at public institutes and the demand to regularize irregular workers.  In this rally, about 100 people gathered together, who are activists belonging to WADLJ, KBS fix-term workers who had been dismissed owing to the expiration of their contracts, those working at veterans hospitals, Korea Workers Accident Medical Corporation (K-medi), and contracted women workers whose work will be decided to be outsourced by KBS.

In the declaration, WADLJ denounced the government and the Grand National Party, saying “the Ministry of Labor that should have supported the upgrading of irregular workers at private companies and been concerned for the measures, and rather, it has made tacit approval of the ‘planned dismissals’ of irregular workers at public institutes, and public institutes are at the head in dismissing irregular workers. The government and the Grand National Party insisted in the deferment of the application of the Temporary Employee Protection Act, but there have been no incidents of dismissing 1,000,000 irregular workers that the government expected although more than 2 year and 10 days has been passed by since the act was effective.” more>>

                                                     5th Labor Forum:

      iscussing the law-making regarding specially hired workers’ issues

The death of Park Jong-tae belonging to the Korean Transportation Workers’ Trade Union played a crucial role in drawing attention to specially hired workers’ issues again that had subsided. The current government has not taken any alternative measures for specially hired workers.  What is worse, the current government has driven specially hired workers into a tight corner when we look at the government’s policy that it does not recognize 88CC union belonging to the KWTU and dismissed union members.  Presently, specially hired workers were ranked third after fixed-term workers and part-timers, and women constituted a higher ratio: specially hired women workers accounted for 5.9% and men 2.2% of all the workers (2008, Korea Labor & Society Institute). This shows women should not ignore issues of specially hired workers.

In this labor forum, to draw more attention to issues of specially hired employment, proposals made by the Democratic Party and the Democratic Labor Party were looked at carefully.

According to the proposal made by the Democratic Party (especially by Kim Sanghee),  written contracts, payment, and annual leaves which are the core of the Labor Standard Law are recognized and the trade union act should be applied for. The proposal made by the Democratic Labor Party (especially by Hong Heeduck) expands the concepts of workers and users in the Labor Standard Law and Trade Union Act.  Presently, the two proposals concerning specially hired employment are pending in the Labor Environment Committee of the National Assembly.  The KWWA and KWTU have decided to search for the ways to address the matters of specially hired employment through other discussions.