– 18 Social Civic Groups at joint press conference on Sewol Disaster

 We do present our apology. We will not forget this tragedy.  

 Now we are ready to respond to every request from family members of the victims.

 We, 18 Korean Social Civic Groups, mourn all the victims dead or unaccounted for due to the ferry disaster, and wish every person unaccounted for be rescued as soon as possible. 

 We have felt deeply sorry for the victims and their families since we, members of the Korean Society, failed to establish a proper system for preventing disastrous accidents. At the same time, we also have longed for the Korean government to engage in  full-scale all-out rescue operations in the first place, refraining from denouncing the government’s incompetence and negligence.

 However, President Park Geun-hye at the Cabinet Council meeting on 29th of April made a statement to apologize for the Sewol ferry disaster, which invited doubts and suspicion on her sincerity from the families of the victims. Right that afternoon “Countermeasure Committee for the Bereaved Family” held a press conference for urging the government as well as Korean citizens to meet their desperate request. 

We, 18 Korean Social Civic Groups, do hereby give our heartfelt responses to their request.

 First, we are not going to turn our faces away from the families who are asking for the shipping company having cyclical corrupt relations with the oversight administrational bodies, the bureaucratic incompetent Authorities Related, and the Government failing to supply any proper support or measures for the bereaved families wanting the missing back, to take full responsibilities for their criminal negligence and misconducts.

 We are not just shedding tears any more while the bereaved families even try to wipe our tears. Now we are going to stand beside them and to fully support them on their requests, encouraging the whole Korean citizens to join us until the families realize their all demands, not to let them feel lonely and unfair.

 Second, we strongly call for the government to stop making excuses, and to take more active proper measures for 11 victims still unaccounted for to come back to the families of the victims, who are now formally demanding the government should make full trustworthy explanation for the exact cause and sequence of the tragic accident.

 We are demanding the government to thoroughly probe into the malfunctions and problems of the vessel, controling and managing failure, ineffectiveness of search and rescue operations and so on, in order to reveal the reasons why a ferry capsizing accident was magnified into a huge disaster. There should be no tolerance in investigating this catastrophic accident which leaves all Koreans submerging under the sea together with the victims out of sadness and shock.

 Therefore, we are requiring the government to answer every question raised by the families in a sincere manner. We also press the government to hurry search and rescue operations for the rest still in the waters.  We are going to monitor and urge the government reactions and measures to meet the demands from the families.

 Third, we urge President Park Geun-hye to take proper manners and pay a sincere  apology for the tragic accident to the bereaved families. It was crystal clear that her statement made in front of the Cabinet members failed to deliver her true comprehension and sincere apology for the disaster which devastated the whole lives of the victims and their families. The president and her advisory teams for the Blue House should understand this: a simple earnest apology from the bottom of her heart will work much more than they have worked ever since.

 Finally, we ask the president and government to stop improvising, rather to revise the policy basis as well as make “Citizen Security”  her top policy priority. We are also going to make every effort to take the Sewol Tragedy as chance for changing top priorities among the current government policies and the current mainstream social values.

 At this moment, Korean citizens bitterly reflect on ignoring the importance of citizen security at the expense of only putting emphasis on quantitative growth for our society, while hoping for Korea to change into a right direction. Due to this tragedy, we come to realize that there’s nothing more precious than human rights and lives. It is regrettable that the president and government haven’t come to yet.

Thus, we urge the president and government to reflect on the Sewol Disaster and to come up with appropriate measures to deal with all the problems it left behind.   

 We hope the victims rest in peace, and to the requests from their families, we once again promise our supportive response. We do promise never to turn our backs on the pain and appeals from the Danwon High School students, victims accounted or unaccounted for, and their families.

1st of May, 

Korean Women’s Association United, Korean Women’s Environmental Network, Korean Women Workers Association, Korean Womenlink, Korea Women’s Hot Line, Green Korea United, Networks for Green Transport, Eco Horizon Institute, Korean Federation for Environmental Movement, Citizens’ Movement for Environmental Justice, Citizens’ Coalition for Democratic Media, Peace Network, Preparing Toward One Korea, Cultural Action, Citizens’ Action Network, Hung Sa Dan(Young Korean Academy; Y.K.A), People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy, National Council of the Young Men's Christian Associations of Korea(more than 18 nation-wide branches)

2014 the Declaration of Independence for Women labor

 Winter thawing spring came.

 All creations come alive, the world is bubbling over with an air of life.

 Nature welcomes seasons and changes following the laws of nature.

 The time of season can’t block the spring coming

 The time of people remains in winter,

 Someone endures time of sorrow

 Someone bears time of despair

 Someone rides out time of brutality.

 Citizens of Korea who endure time with full of pain, gruesome new were heard.

 Mother and two daughters committed suicide together due to hardship of life.

 Mother, who worked at a restaurant, got injured arm on her way home from work but couldn’t apply for occupational health and safety insurance.

 She couldn’t help quitting the job, but couldn’t receive unemployment benefits.

 She had worked without any rest, but she is so poor as she has no spare money apart from monthly rent, living expenses, and medical bills.

 The mother and two daughters who had not applied for recipient for national basic livelihood

 At the last moment when they took their own lives, said sorry.

 The story is not only about the deceased of mother and daughters.

 Even now, somewhere in this land

 Working hard but don’t get paid for the work done and being poor,

 Overnight kicked out of job

 Being sick no work

 People who have to worry about their daily bread are around.

 Neighbors, who think of quitting on life due to no job, are also around.

 We, who live in a society where social safety net is poor

 Whether working or not, or what kind of work

 Eke out a bare existence,

 Live,

 Dram of lives, or

 Give up on lives.

 “My fellow citizens!If lives of people are uneasy, however state get developed, that would be meaningless. Once bearing and rearing children are true blessing, no worry about old age, the era of national welfare become completed. Any single of people should not feel fear that one might not manage basic life.” Park Guenhye president spoke at inaugural address.

 Unlike President Park Guenhye talking about ‘the era of national welfare’

 2014 today Korea, there is plenty of complaints from people who shout ‘want to live’.

 Here are women who account for half of Korean population.

 To Korean women who have been suffering and uneasy,

 Another like a bolt from the blue is happening.

 Under name of ‘decent part-time job’.

 Source of forcing women into ‘part-time job’

 Is the President Park Guenhye, for the first time, female president.

 Promised open of the hopeful new era

 Promised a country where all of nation are 100% happy, the president Park Guenhye.

 To achieve the presidential promise, ‘70% employment rate’

 With low wage and no protection from labor standard Act.

 Driving women to bad job, ‘part-time job’.

 Don’t even try to mention decent jobs on time basis

 until improve the poor conditions of more than 1.8million part-time jobs

 under low wage without benefits of four basic social insurances as workers.

 There already exist lots of women workers taking low-pay part-time jobs

 whose expansion can’t help but to drive women workers into lower wage and insecure employment.

 Don’t try to deceive women have a choice to want a part-time job in her need.

 Women workers are forced to accept one or two part-times jobs for remaining in miserable living conditions.

 Don’t try to justify women’s career interruption for the sake of family.

 Don’t force women to set their top priorities on homemaking

 which not only encourages job segregation for gender but also degrades women’s social status down mainly to give a birth and shoulder all burden of home-care.

 In this social circumstance, women, even in order to balance between work and home, are supposed to accept jobs in informal sectors only to be assistant breadwinners while men are supposed to secure jobs in formal sectors.

 Balance between work and home should establish prerequisites of feasible social and working conditions for both women and men.

 Don’t try to persuade women into accepting part-time jobs to build career.

 Part-time workers do chores and secondary tasks, increasing recently for the result of make wrong use of related laws and regulations .

 In this social surrounding, bringing-up children cannot be a blessing and a new era of “Happy Koreans” cannot come close to us.

 In 196-70s of Korea, Park Jung-hee, Military Dictator was notorious for exploiting young women workers by presenting them a beautified name of “a Pillar of Industry”. Thanks to their bloody tears and sweats, Korea has created enviable economic success while women workers had to endure poor working  conditions, inhumane treatment as well as low wage, only to fail to secure basic human rights as workers.

 Entering 2014, Park Geun-hye, his daughter, is trying to take advantage of women workers again: taking it for granted that women should sacrifice themselves for the sake of our society to reach the political goal of “70% employment ratio” while no considering quality of job and labor rights for women.

 Park Geun-hye is calling for women workers to accept “labor in no return” so as to overcome the current economic crisis, learning from his father compelling “Yushin(the Revitalizing Reform)” in the early stage of economic development in Korea to minimize the possibilities of economic social political crisis.

 We want to live in such a society:

 where labor by women workers should be equally respected as meaningful contribution,

 where people who have the will to work can do labor

 where return for labor should guarantee the real living standards

 where regardless of gender people can get jobs they want for their efforts

 where people have no fear for losing jobs when applying for maternity and childcare leave as well as reporting pregnancy

 where workers are not informed of unfair dismissal on employer’s own discretion

 where workers should be recognized and respected

 where both men and women do heart-warming labor for caring their own family and others in help

 where people have no worries for survival while stop working

 We do hereby declare this Announcement of Independence for Women Labor in order for women workers to be subjects of labor as human beings.

6th of March, 2014

Initiatives for Women Labor Politics · Women Labor Activists from 1970s

Korean Women Workers Association ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union / Seoul Women Workers' Association ‧ Inchon Women Workers' Association ‧ Kwangju Women Workers' Association ‧ Masan-Changwon Women Workers' Association ‧ Pusan Women's Association ‧ North Cholla Women Workers' Association ‧ Ansan Women Workers' Association ‧ Puchon Women Workers' Association ‧ Daegu Women Workers' Association ‧ Suwon Women Workers' Association ‧ Kyoungju Women Workers' Association / Korean Women’s Trade Union Seoul Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Inchon Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Kyounggi Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union North Cholla Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Kwangju-South Cholla Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union South Kyoungsang Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Daegu-North Kyoungsang Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Daejon-Chungchong Branch ‧ Korean Women’s Trade Union Ulsan Branch / Women Labor Activists from 1970s (YH Trade Union Soonyoung Choi, Soongab Kwon / Wonpoong Wool Spinning Sunsoon Chung / Samwon Textile Jisun Kim, JOC Labor Pastoral Maria Rhee / Dongil Textile Chonggak Lee / ControlData Oksoon You, Myounghee Han)

- Ignorant government on the reality of women workers

- A surge of counseling on maternity right owing to invalid policies

 Analysis of 624 cases for 3 months, maternity right comprises 45.4%

 Korean Women Workers Association (Jeong Muja, Standing chairperson) analyzed counseling cases of 10 branches of ‘Equaline’ which is counseling window for women worker in order to commemorate 3. 8 International Women’s Day.Analyzed cases is for 3 months up to 2014 February, from 2013 December after publicizing [Case book of Equaline 2013].

 The core point of this analysis is that counseling on maternity right comprises the majority. Among 624 cases totally, counseling on maternity right comprises 283 cases (45.4%) and there are 231 cases (37.0%) for working condition, 50 cases (8.0%) for sexual harassment, 12 cases (1.9%) for verbal abuse and attack, 4 cases (0.6%) for gender discrimination, 44 cases (7.1%) for others. Last year, counseling consisted of 1,154 cases (43.7%) for working condition, 1,129 for maternity right, 236 cases (8.9%) for sexual harassment, 87 cases (3.3%) for gender discrimination, 37 cases (1.4%) for verbal abuse and attack. It shows counseling on working condition were more than counseling on maternity rights in 2013.

 It seems that the reason why counseling on maternity rights has increased in this year is because of confusion arising from big gap between the reality and government’s policy announcement to reinforce maternity right like announcement of ‘support measure fit to working women’s life cyclefor continuing career’.

 According to counseling cases, there are many cases like being bullied after telling about pregnancy to a company and forcing to come back to work after having only 60days for maternity leave, though 90 day maternity leave is secured by law. Especially, in case of non-regular workers, there were even cases of simple inquiry asking if non-regular worker can take maternity leave and child-care leave. In case of counseling on child-care leave, there were continuous cases of getting to know being dismissed in child-care leave and of being refused return after child-care leave. Park GuenHye President promised to make a country where ‘pregnancy and delivery are blessing, but, in reality, it is shown that many women workers worry about being fired from company once they get pregnant.

 Especially, government has been insisting that as ‘women resign their job to take care of their children, it is needed to create ‘part-time jobs’ for women to manage both child-care and work, but the majority of clients say that they want to continue to work if they can take freely maternity leave and child-care leave. In reality, there were many cases to inquiry about whether they can receive unemployment benefits in case they have no choice but to quit their job due to pressure by employer. It is mostly because struggle against unfair dismissal during being pregnant is difficult and most of those women work at small scale company where substitute worker scheme is not implemented at all. 83% of clients work at workplace with 50 personnel or less and 10% of clients even work at workplace with 10 personnel or less. Some of clients even asked whether they should hire a substitute in order to take child-care leave.

 Government is required to take action by large scale to promote so that both employers and employees can understand well about labor right and maternity rights and violation against those rights is illegal.

 Many cases of violation of maternity leave at daycare center, steady increase in counseling on paternity right

 Clients confused due to the Ministry of Labor not showing active will to ensure maternity rights

 There are outstanding cases on maternity leave by teachers at a daycare center who are in charge of social child care. In case of teachers at a daycare center, with reason that if teachers change, children would feel confused or that it is difficult to utilize substitute teachers, counseling cases showed that maternity leave or child care leave is not provided to them. Even there was a director of daycare center who forces teachers unconditionally to quit the job saying “there are many head-ache if maternity leave or child care leave are given”. Considering that government states “will expand public childcare for working women”, policy and system are required, it seems, in order to secure working condition and maternity rights for women workers. However, many of clients come to Equline after listening “it can’t be helped” from the Ministry of Labor when they made complain on maternity right, which shows that the awareness of government on maternity rights fails to meet the level of women workers. Government should take action for precautionary measures, instruction and inspection so that policy could be better implemented, rather than response to cases that happened terribly.

<A director's persuasion for resignation in a nursery school>

 I am working at a public nursery school as a child-care teacher. With the delivery in next February, I said that I would like to use maternity leave and child-care leave and return to the work. The director replied that maternity leave can be taken but child-care leave can’t for various reasons related to operation.Being heard about use of substitute worker, the director forced me to quit the job saying that married women always take an early leave and don’t go for training, they are not any better than single women. What I can do to deal with the director? (December, Busan)

 Among counseling on maternity right, the number of male client continues to increase. During period for this analysis, counseling from male client comprises for 8.2% of total. Last year, it was around 5%. The majority of counseling by male client was related to paternity leave which converted to 3day paid leave. There was also counseling about expansion of period available for child-care leave up to 8 year old child.

 Measures needed to counteract cases of cut of wage through making ill use of provision for rest-time

 Looking at counseling on working condition, delayed payment of wage account for the most, 39.4% with 91 cases again this time. These are cases that employers don’t pay the delayed payment and severance pay although employees quit the job due to delayed payment.Also there were pretty many cases to ask whether there are ways to receive the difference in case that they have being paid less than minimum wage at a part-time job.

 The most outstanding case among counseling related to working condition is to pay less by abusing the provision for rest-time which stipulated in the Labor Standard Act. Making bad use of the provision of 30 minute rest-time in 4 hours, cases to be paid after deducting amount for rest-time despite of not having been able to use the rest-time in reality were reported in Incheon and Gwangju. To deal with this concern, labor inspection and measure by government are required.

<Is it lawful to deduct30 minute payment in 4 hours working time as rest-time?>

 I work for 4 hours from 5pm to 9 pm. I received wage only for 3 and half hours. I asked shop manager and he said that he had told me at the very beginning that only 3 and half hours would be considered for working hours since the law stipulates that 30 minute rest-time is deducted from 4 hours working time. However rest-time is not given separately and we have meal in our spare time. Then, is it lawful to deduct 30 minute payment in 4 hours working time as a rest-time? Or should I report this? <January, Gwangju>

 Amid that poor working condition of high school student intern become social issue, Equalinereceived a case of sexual harassment against high school student intern. This was a case that a high school student in 3rd grade, who has been working since last November and supposed to employ as a regular worker, quit the job due to constant sexual harassment by bosses at the workplace. This client wanted apology from perpetrator and punishment.

 Beside, after recentbroadcasting news on a ‘battered telemarketer’, working condition, which is nearly human right abusive, became a social problem, but counseling on verbal abuse and attack continues.

 Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) begins 2014 in new leadership system. KWWA had aannual General Assembly at YUSEONG Youth Hostel on 18 January, concluded on joint representative system through amendment of articles of association and elected ImYunok, present vice-chairperson, as a Co-chairperson. In Joint leadership system, for the first time, JeongMunja, present chairperson, will serve as Standing Chairperson and ImYunok, vice-chairperson, will serve as Co-chairperson.

 Term of the first joint chairperson is upto next annual General Assembly, the same as present executive. At next annual General Assembly, Standing chairperson, Co-chairperson, and Vice-chairperson will be elected. Prior to this, JeongMunja Chairperson had been elected as Co-chairperson of the Korean Women’s Association United (KWAU) at her General Assembly on 9 January so she serves as both Co-chairperson of KWAU and Standing Chairperson of KWWA for a year.

 At this General Assembly, a new way for report of 2013 activities, namely IGNITE, was used, elevating concentration. An audit report, a statement of accounts, revision of by-law, and plan with 4 directions 10 tasks and budget has been approved. As another agenda, sale of ‘Space of Women and Work’ due to worsening finance and purchase of new building has been passed. At this General Assembly, fund-raising to support Cambodia Workers who had been sacrificed by government’s brutal repression were organized.

 A day before General Assembly, delegates have listened lectures from Prof. Min KyeongBae on ‘diverse ways for women movement to meet the public’ and from lawyer Park Jumin on ‘the National Intelligence Service’s election intervention and democracy’, showing high attention. In the evening, ‘Night of Unity’ event was pleasant time with ceaseless laughing and clapping.

[Keynote of work in 2014]

1. Stop democracy regression and take actions to solve problems of people’s livelihood

 Inauguration of Park Guenhye government, which was established through presidential election intervention by national agencies, was less than a year ago. Meanwhile Park government has been carrying out full-scale attack by “JongBuk (North Koean Sympathizers) driver against progressive force. Besides, presidential promises like economic democracy, welfare state have vanished. On the other hand, regression of democracy and human rights, becoming conspicuous of labor repression such as illegalization of the Korean Teachers and Educational Workers' Union and armed crackdown on railway strike, and pushing ahead privatization of railroad and health care have worsen lives of people.

 Hence, KWWA, in order to stop “JongBuk (North Koean Sympathizers) driver” by present government, restore democracy, solve problems of people’s livelihood, and fight against labor repression, would take actions in solidarity with women organization and civil society organization.

2. Express criticism on government policies for women labor, which worsen lives of women workers, and suggest policy alternatives.

 Under the name of achieving 70% employment rate, government push ahead with part-time job by forcing from public institution to enterprises, like 4 river project by former government. Expansion of part-time job will reinforce gender discrimination in Korea where gender wage gap ranks the top.

 KWWA would take actions to develop policies and demand for stopping policies to expand part-time job, regularization of non-regular workers, creation of decent job in care work. Also KWWA would actively counteract to secure human right and labor right for women workers together with women labor movement organizations.

 Apart from that, KWWA, at the a regional election in June 2014, would strengthen solidarity with progressive camp and make core agenda among local women labor policies.

[Direction of activities in 2014]

1. Vitalization ofmembership-based activities and activists’empowerment for strengthening of organization

1) Strengthening of member activities and fulltime activists empowerment, preparing training manual

2) Seeking strategies to expand organization through vitalization of regional base activities

3) Routinizing 7 happy inconvenience movement and activating Pumasi activity

2. Qualitative reform of women employment and strengthening women workers’ right through work-life balance

4) Activities to regularize women non-regular workers in public sector

5) Stop expansion of part-time job and demand for improvement of jobs for women

6) Improve social awareness on care work and secure labor right for domestic workers

3. Strengthening grass-root organization and revitalizing social economy movement

7) Stabilizing Korea Care Cooperatives Association and expanding foundation of cooperatives

8) Set visions of National House Manager Cooperatives and 10th anniversary commemorative event

4. Strengthening political activities to counteract new ‘public security’ situation and regional election

9) Aggressively take action against people’s lives suppression and regression of democracy

10) Political strength of women together with members and actions to put women labor related policies into election promises

: Korean Women Workers Association disclosed the result of analysis on 2,794 counseling cases

- Part-time job predominated by single-youth-women, not benefit career-interrupted women

- A surge in counseling for sexual harassment at workplace, need to make policy alternatives

- Caregiver for elderly exposed to sexual harassment, verbal abuse and attack seriously, urgent to provide countermeasure

- Trend of an increase in counseling on maternity right by migrant women workers

 Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) published “2013 Equaline counseling case book” on 6th January, analyzing counseling cases from 10 local EQUALINEs (counseling center for equal employment) nationwide. KWWA has been publishing casebooks every year since it established EQUALINE in 5 provinces in 1995. This is 18th casebook.

 Currently, Equline is located in 10 regions including Seoul, Incheon, Bucheon, Ansan, Suwon, Jeonbuk, Gwangju, Masanchanwon, Busan, Daegu. Equline in Daegu began in earnest counseling in May last year. Counseling cases from December 1st, 2012 to November 30th, 2013 were analyzed. Total number of cases during this period is 2,794 (excluded re-counseled cases, cases for female 2,643, cases for male 151). Male-counseled cases and re-counseled cases were excluded from analysis in order to examine counseling tendency and flow of women workers. It is shown that counseling by phone and internet has been increasing constantly, comprise 95.4% of the total cases.

Table1. Types of counseling

Counseling on working condition comprises 43.7%, Counseling on maternity right comprises 42.7%

 This year also counseling on working condition comprised the most with 43.7% of total case. But counseling on maternity right exceeded 40% for the first time, with 1,129 cases comprising 42.7%. Compared to data of 2003, counseling on maternity rights has tripled in the last ten years. It can be analyzed that women worker’s awareness on maternity right has increased while secured rights by law like maternity leave and child-care leave are not being implemented well. Whereas, counseling on verbal abuse and attack continuously tends to decrease.

 Looking at details of counseling on maternity right by category, maternity leave came first with 502cases (19.0%), followed by child-care leave with 432cases (16.3%), delayed payment of wage with 413cases (15.6%). In spite of inauguration of new government, promising a groundbreaking increase in women employment, the number of counseling on violation of law such as ‘disadvantage for pregnancy and delivery’ and ‘dismissal for pregnancy and delivery’ was 66 cases (2.5%) and 42 cases (1.6%) respectively, which has risen by 24 cases. As counseling on child-care leave and maternity leave is not simple inquiry but cases occurredby anticipation of pregnancy/delivery related disadvantage, the actual cases of ‘disadvantage for pregnancy and delivery’ were much more.

 Counseling on rest and rest-time has newly categorized separately due to the considerable frequency, which had been included to ‘Labor Standard Law-related et cetera’. Counseling on rest and rest-time accounted for 1.7% with 46 cases.

The worst part-time job, predominated by single-youth-women, not benefit career-interrupted women

 Proportion of regular workers among clients has been decreasing as years go by. Ratio of regular workers, which had exceeded 60% in 2011, has decreased by 3.4 per cent, with 57.9% in 2013. Meanwhile, proportion of non-regular workers had exceeded 40% last year, and reached 42.1% this year. Looking at distribution by non-regular workers’category, it is shown that proportion of part-time workers has been rising, while other non-regular workers like contract workers shows similar distribution.

Table 2.Employment type

Table 3.Type of non-regular worker

Types of counseling by employment type are showing a decided difference. Counseling on maternity right comprises the majority of cases for regular worker with 42.6%. However in case of non-regular worker, counseling on working condition comprise 59.5%, the highest ratio, reflecting worse working condition of non-regular workers compared to regular workers.

Table 4. Types of employment by counseling style

Condemn strongly violent repression of Korean Confederation of Trade Union and Korean Railway Worker's Union!

President Park GuenHye should stop privatization of Korean railway!

 Last 22th, unprecedented development occurred. Government mobilized thousands of police force and raided building of Korean Confederation of Trade Union breaking down glass doors in the lobby and shooting tear-gas, in order to interrupt KRWU’s strike for stopping privatization of Korean Railway. In the name of arrest of members of executive body of KRWU, police broke into office of KCTU, destroyed office fixtures and took people in the office indiscriminately, the court rejected search and seizure warrant though. However executive body members of KRWU were not in the building of KCTU. Eventually, government and police pushed ahead with forcible invasion illegally with no justification. Moreover, police used violence with a water cannon and tear-gas brutally against citizen who had gathered to support for struggle against privatization of Korean railway and forcible invasion of police.

 Such a conduct of government and police is actually violence against KCTU and labor movement and illegal repression of a just collective action of union members. Also it can be the same as expression of will to repress, with violence, people’s voice of opposition to privatization of Korean railway. We strongly condemn Park Geun Hye government, a government of communication-less and violence, to respond with violence to people’s demand and a just struggle of workers to preserve publicness. 

 Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) and government have released 8500 union members of KRWU from their position, have filed cases against 200 union members and have issued an arrest warrant for 30 union members. Even one person was killed in railway accident arising from putting in substitute workers forcedly. Nevertheless government and KORAIL attribute the blame onto union and press ahead the repression. But most of the people support the strike of KRWU to stop privatization of Korean railway, and also approval rating of Park Geun Hye government, which is consistent in repression and untruth against voice to demand for stop of privatization, is dropping sharply.  

 Government insist that its plan to separate SuSeo KTX from Korail into independent subsidiary company is not privatization, though Lee Cheol, former president of KORAIL, has even spoken the point that government comment doesn’t make any sense. 

Besides, last June the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs had said that it planned to gradually separate cargo, vehicle repair, and maintenance after separation of SuSeo KTX. Park Geun Hye government deceive people as burying its head in the sand, just like Lee Myoeng Bak government which deceived about Grand Canal project as if it was a four-river refurbishment project.  

 Railroad is an essential mean of transportation and distribution which has direct connection with lives of people. Looking at other countries case like UK, it is well known that privatization of railway results in destroying lives of ordinary people and threatening the security caused by monopolization of few enterprises, rise in cost, fare hike, and abolition of deficit railroad. The worst part is that attempt to privatization is not only in railroad, but in gas, water, electricity, and medical care, privatization is being pushed ahead at high speed. It is most likely that the reason behind why government pushes through privatization of railway, pressing ahead with brutal invasion is because government believes that accomplishment of rail way will pave the way for privatization of other public sectors. therefore, stopping privatization of railway is not only for railway but a start to stop privatization of other public sectors. 

 We again condemn Park Geun Hye government strongly that push through privatization seeking for interest of government and capital, not taking care about lives of people and safety and respond with violence to demand from people and a just strike of KRWU. Such a conduct of Park Geun Hye government, consistent with repression and violence and proud of communication-less, can’t but be regarded as desperate action of Park Geun Hye government on the defensive owing to fraudulent election mobilized the National Intelligence Service for comment maneuver. Park Geun Hye government and KORAIL should stop violent repression and arrests and withdraw privatization plan of railway including independent separation of SuSeo KTX! Women and civil society groups here today strongly support for strike struggle of KRWU and KCTU to stop privatization of railway, and will fight with them till Park Geun Hye government and KORAIL accept our demand.  

December 23th, 2013

Woman and civil society groups to call for stop of railway privatization and to condemn of violent repress of KRWU and KCTU

Woman affair of committee for the political party of the working class, ELOOM-anti-sex trafficking and action for human right, People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, JIJI-human right group for sex workers, UNNI network, GongGam-Women with Disabilities Empathy, Network for Glocal Activism 

SaengSaeng women labor activism (Federation of Korea Trade Unions/ Women Committee of Korean Confederation of Trade Union/ Korean Women’s Association United/ Womenlink/ Korean Women Worker’s Association/ National Women Solidarity/ Korean Women’s Trade Union/ Committee for Women right of MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society/ Woman Labor Law Support Center/ Women committee of Worker’s Solidarity)

Lunch hours is less than 20 minutes 74.4%, depression is suspected or certain 21.9%

- November 28th, open forum on fact-find survey for work and health of domestic workers-

 In fact, I have to rush as sole get sweat. Always, at clock, put eyes on a clock. I set time schedule for each of work, so I work very hard to finish within the time. (Interviewee 6)

 Last week when I went to a new house, a man opens the gate. It is expected to open the gate after making himself presentable when woman stand out of the gate. But the guy says ‘Who’s there?’ zipping up a zip. I got shocked. There are houses like that. I heard that there are houses where in spite of female domestic workers presenting, male member of dweller goes around with only underpants. (Interviewee 6) 

 We do heavy labor for 4 hours. It’s needed to have some snack during 4 hours of work. I am hoping to have little time for that, for snack. around 10 minutes, 20 minutes. But I think customer won’t be happy with that. (Interviewee 9)

 We wring rags a lot, perhaps wring rags dozens of times. Feel pain on here[wrist]. It been some time that finger joints got arthritis. Yes, I heard that I’ve got rheumatoid arthritis because I work too much. (Interviewee 1)

 Above, they are voice from 10 domestic workers who participated in in-depth interview. It is discovered that domestic workers work hard physically being pressed for time, there is no time for snack, even for lunch they have to finish in 20 minutes, they have lunch in a car or at mart or on a street. However they are not eligible for industrial accident compensate insurance as they are not ‘workers’. 

[main contents of open forum presentation]

1. characteristic of respondents 

2. Actual condition of work and health

○ response to work for 35 hours and more a week is 35.6%. In case of respondents working less than 20 hours, 25.6% of them said that ‘illness’ is the reason, which shows health condition of domestic workers is severe.  

○ In case of 4 hour domestic work, there are 29 kinds of work to do for 4 hours. To finish 29 kinds of work within 4 hours, one thing has to be done every 8 minutes. It is showed that domestic work is high intensive labor to complete given work within fixed time. 

○ 77.4% of respondent said they have lunch by themselves. For time to spend for lunch, less than 20 minutes came the largest with 74.4% and less than 10 minutes account for 29.3%, which shows that there is no secured lunch time for them. For places of lunch, response to in a car or mart or even street accounts for 54.5%, showing that a proper measure is needed. 

○ 51.9% of respondents have musculoskeletal disease to be cured, meaning that half of domestic workers are in very bad health. 

3. Alternatives for work and health of domestic workers

○ Recognize domestic workers as workers by amending Labor Standard Act and include them in 4 major social security beneficiaries. 

○ create jobs in public sector with job security and wage rise

Example) Changwon city create jobs and provide welfare for father-child family at the same time by initiating project to send house manager to father-child family for work-life balance  

○ Relevant organization in local society comes together to push ahead with social agreement for social recognition and basic human rights of domestic workers. Also establish guideline for health of domestic workers including ensuring minimum rest. 

○ create infrastructure for domestic worker so that their health right can be secured. for example, running health programs for domestic workers at community health center can be a good practice. 

‘Invisible women, Here are women irregular workers’- open forum to analyze outcome of a fact-finding survey on conversion of female irregular workers in public sector into permanent position, November 12th 

 KWWA conducted a open forum titled ‘Invisible women, Here are women irregular workers’ at National Assembly on 12th November. This open forum was very meaningful in the sense that it was place to publicize the both outcome of survey and 9 cases of in-depth interview, which convey vivid voice from field on whether government plan on conversion into regular position stating from public sector in order to solve irregular workers’ problem is being observed. 

 Firstly, cases of in-depth interview conveyed livelily how working as irregular women workers is exposed to experience of discrimination daily. 

 Short-term researcher or daily pay surveyor can’t have sense of belonging. Invisible person. (invisible person?) I feel like invisible person (Interviewee 1)

 This is different from fundamental issue of working condition, feel like organizing brain of human being in that way. Miniature society, namely pyramid. People at the top don’t need to deal with or greet to people at the bottom. It is ok to put somebody to work by e-mail. It is not necessary to greet because we are not employees, but we do greet. Then, accept greeting and pretend to know. So, short-term researcher is just invisible person. (Interviewee 1)

 What I feel at first is feeling like a wall? Like that, come and just sit (without something like real authority?) without it. There is almost no one who talk to. I feel so much that I am treated as non-existent person. (Interviewee 4)

 Like this, women irregular workers in public sector call themselves as invisible person. Women irregular workers exist but they are invisible being, treated as ‘non-existent person’, and living as invisible person, denied their existence. 

 Let’s look at the real working condition of women irregular worker through survey. Yoon JaYoung who report analysis of survey outcome remarked that this fact-finding survey is invaluable data showing working condition of female irregular workers in local government and illusion of government measure for public sector related to conversion into permanent-contract position. 1,727 responses of female irregular workers working in local government are analyzed. This survey response was obtained through 9 KWWA local branch’s activist’s effort. 

Monthly average wage, 1,362 thousands won/ 3.6 years of service/ average age, 41.3 years old 

 The outcome of survey show that average wage of female irregular worker in local government is 1,362 thousands won. Dispatch and subcontract came the lowest with 1,240 thousands won, followed by short-term contract with 1,261 thousands won and permanent-contract with 1,553 thousands won. Year of career of these workers is close to 10 years. But it came to the light that their wage is very low, even below the level presented in management provision of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance on permanent-contract and short-term contract worker, A-class office clerk with 7 year and less of service is 1,933,130 won, B-class office clerk with 2 year and less of service is 1,357,640 won. 

81.2% of short-term contract workers respond to constant-continuous work, but 19.2% of those respond to possibility of conversion into permanent-contract position

 Looking at response to whether feature of work is constant-continuous, permanent-contract workers came to the first with 95.4%, followed by dispatched with 87.1% and short-term contract with 81.7%. Government announcement of September 5th excludes 74% of irregular workers in public sector from conversion into permanent-contract. As 80% and more of short-term contract, dispatch and subcontract workers perceive their work as constant-continuous work, these people should be included in list of conversion to permanent-contract position. Especially the point that 81.7% of short-term contract responded that their work is constant-continuous but only 19.2% of those responded that there is possibility to conversion into permanent-contract position reveal that government measure of permanent-contract is illusion. Also, there are 60% of respondents who responded that they won’t be likely to be in the list of permanent-contract because of termination or cancellation of contract. 

48.2% of respondent in short-term contract responded to difficulty in use of maternity leave

 It is showed that for the last 3 years, in case of short-term contract women workers, ensuring use of maternity leave is only 48.2%, and 15% of all respondents responded that they have been sexually harassed. Looking at coping action to sexual harassment, in case of permanent-contract workers, it is revealed that 80.8% took almost no or passive action like saying nothing in confusion, pretending to hear nothing, or getting out escapingly.  

 Response to that process of conversion to permanent-contract position is fair is just 48.3% and there are 22.5% response that it become unfair because they get on the wrong side of their superiors. 

 After presentation of survey outcome, a heated discussion was created, which hit the marks. 

 Na Jihyeon, President of KWTU(Korean Women’s Trade Union) picked 5 points as implication of this research. 1) use female workers with high educational background as low-paid personnel 2) even in public sector, female-concentrated occupation has low wage and poor form of employment 3) need to consider issues of emotional labor 4) seriousness of problems related to part-time job 5) it is revealed the real situation of female irregular workers that maternity leave is pie in the sky and it is almost impossible to take counteraction to sexual harassment. 

 Park Joo Young, a labor lawyer, pointed that when irregular workers in public sector say about discrimination that they have experienced what kind of work she/he is involved is not clear. Namely, their work does not exist as independent sector in formal process, rather is hidden behind irregular’s work. Unless irregular worker’s labor is not called as formal labor, hidden labor does not bring existence of the worker to light. Therefore key nature of irregular workers is not just job insecurity but elimination of authority and responsibility, stratification into second-class, which is the starting point of discrimination. She put emphasis on the point that discrimination against irregular workers is not something that can be eliminated through revision of little part of system for discrimination remedy and said it is understood that fundamental cause of discrimination lies with irregularization which alienate labor itself. 

 Beside, Kim Yoo Seon, head of Korea Labor and Society Institute, and Baek Young Sik, deputy director of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, made contribution to the discussion. Han Jeong Ae, a member of National Assembly, sat through. 

 This open forum, which co-sponsored by members of National Assembly (Eun Soomi, Han Jeongae, Jang Hana) belonging to Democracy Party, contributed to publicizing problems of government measure of irregular worker in public sector and the risk of policy to expand part-time jobs. Also this open forum made contribution to publicizing measure for conversion of female irregular workers to regular position which the female irregular workers want.

[Press conference to counteract expansion of part-time jobs by governemtn]

‘Alba Heaven’ will make the employment rate to 70%!

 Last 13th November, Korean government announced that it would create part-time jobs more by scale of 16,500 jobs in public sector by 2017 and encourage employer of private small-medium enterprise to create part-time jobs by supporting financially in expense for wage and social insurance. Government stated to increase employment rate of women for 70% employment rate. However it is obvious that this action would aggravate women jobs. 

 It would be true that women employment rate should increase to achieve employment rate by 70%. But an increase in part-time jobs would not guarantee a rise in women employment rate. It becomes clear when looking at the regard that part-time job of women have rose by 18 times more than one of men does but women employment rate has been stagnant. It is because that full-time regular job has been converted into part-time job. 

 Even now women occupy 73.1% of total part-time jobs. The average wage of part-time jobs is 650,000 KRW and coverage rate of social insurance is only 10%. Government promotes that part-time jobs are needed for women in career discontinuation but what women truly want is that her career is not disrupted. Asking women workers to work part-time for work-life balance will make women workers more disadvantage in labor market, forcing work-life balance only into women workers.  

 The worst feature of irregular workers is instability. Even though government insists it would make ‘decent part-time jobs’, in fact, it is almost impossible that part-time job is secure and it is not possible to expect stable income in part-time job unless being paid much more wage than regular full-time employees. Even though government insists it is ‘desirable part-time job’ with ‘regular position’, if needing another two- three another part-time jobs for living, it is very precarious job. Part-time job is a sort of irregular job, having a distinct feature of irregular jobs, namely instability. It is difficult to assign any authority and responsibility. Workers without authority nor responsibility would be difficult to have sense of belonging and being rewarding.  

 Especially, this announcement runs completely counter to Pak GuenHye government’s promise ‘that workers in constant-continuous jobs would be converted into regular position’. Within a year after government declared that it would lead private sector by converting irregular workers in constant-continuous jobs into regular position and employing regular workers now and future, it tries to expand part-time jobs, which is the most vulnerable among irregular jobs, at the head. This government measure will be more likely to accelerate hierarchy of labor, in the order of regular position – permanent-contract position - contract position - part-time position, and at the same time discrimination. As showed from case of Bucheon visiting nurse, part-time job is wrongfully used in order to avoid conversion to permanent position even now. 

 Immediately after government announcement on 13th, major company like Samsung was rushing to state recruiting plan of part-time job. Moreover Samsung said it would employ ‘part-time contract workers’. Government set a plan to spend 32.7 billion KRW in 2014 to create part-time jobs at private small-medium enterprises. It is just like to encourage employer to create more irregular workers by spending government tax. 

 Government should take responsibility to dispel worries raised over part-time job from women labor group, not repeat that the worries are misunderstanding, before this worries become a reality. However, government only presents statistical figures related to part-time job, not showing any evidence that the part-time job is a decent job. 

 What government has to do in order to enhance women employment rate is to ensure that all workers enjoy effect of work-life balance policy such as shortening working hours and strengthening government responsibility for child-care. Government should diminish gender gap on wage, of which Korea ranks the top among OECD, and seek for measure to enhance employment rate of college graduate women, which is the lowest among OECD. Government should spend government budget in order to reduce the size of women irregular workers in public sector and to establish countermeasure to indirect employment such as dispatched or subcontract workers in public sector. Also most urgent priority is to improve working condition for women workers who work in informal sector which don’t get caught in employment rate.  

 We strongly oppose government policy to create worse jobs, being busy with uplift of employment rate. Government budget to support for creating part-time job must not pass. Park Guenhye government should clearly know that women’s labor problem won’t be solved by part-time jobs.  We are outraged at government of ‘being out of communication’, pushing through expansion of part-time jobs. We would fight and make every endeavor for women jobs not to turn into part-time jobs. 

November 18, 2013

SaengSaeng women labor activism 

(Worker’s Solidarity/ Committee for Women right of MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society/ Korean Confederation of Trade Union/ Woman Labor Law Support Center/ Korean Women’s Trade Union/ National Women Solidarity/ Federation of Korea Trade Unions/ Korean Women Worker’s Association/ Womenlink/ Korean Women’s Association United)

Members of National Assembly (Han Myeong Sook, Sim Sang Jeong, Kin Sang Hee, Namyun In Soon, Yu Seung Hee, Eun Soo Mi, In Jae Keun, Jang Ha Na, Han Jeong Ae)

 Lately, at a community center, I have met a woman worker in charge of social work who as a part-time contract public servant. Civil servants for social work has been employed as part-time contract civil servants on the ground that work for social welfare is increasing but budget for the work is not enough. Working condition of these workers is inadequate. They are working 7 hours a day, 35hours a week. However their salary is only 1.3 million won which is 7 eighths of basic pay of permanent counterpart and there is no holiday bonus for part-time civil servants. Overtime work is counted up to 10 hours a month. So even though they work 40hours a month as overtime work, there won’t be any compensation for that. The person concerned said it is her wish to work as a full-time contract civil servant, not as a part-timer. Highly educated women workers are exploited under name of part-time contract civil servant, which is a discriminatory occupational category and is poorer than fixed-term workers is. 

 Nevertheless, the government announced that it will create 16,500 part-time jobs in public sector in order to achieve 70% employment rate. 4,000 for civil servants, 3,500 for public school teachers and 9000 for public institutions. Concerned about low response, government says that it would consider allowing profit-seeking activity and holding another job. There is no guarantee that there is no civil servant working as a civil servant in the morning and working at a place of entertainment in the afternoon. It would be very difficult to expect for them to be responsible to public work and implement public value. 

 Also, government said that it would financially support small and medium enterprise for 100% owner’s share of unemployment insurance and national pension and 50% of personnel expenses in order to create part-time jobs by using 10 billion won from people’s tax and 22.7 billion won from unemployment insurance. In response to this government policy, Samsung, LG, and SK announced their plan to expand part-time employment. However, It is highly questionable to use people’s tax and unemployment insurance for employment of private enterprise and whether the job would be secured after the support is ended. Moreover the 2014 budget bill submitted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor shows that the budget for part-time personnel has been spent by only 50% in 2012 and 2013, which means the response to part-time job policy is low. It has been come to light at government audit that part-time jobs created with financial support by government is not better but on the level of other part-time job like working at a coffee shop. 

 This is not the only problem. Recently, a local government said it would dismiss 28 visiting nurses, who had been selected to convert to permanent-contract position, and hire them again as part-time contract civil servants, arousing public criticism. In case of fixed-term contract, visiting nurses must be converted to permanent-contract position after 2 years of employment. To avoid this conversion and on the ground of lack of budget, the government tries to lay off all 28 visiting nurses and employ them again as new hire of part-time contract civil servants. It shows that part-time jobs are wrongfully used to evade conversion to permanent position indeed. 

 Women accounts for 73.1% of total part-time jobs as ever. The average wage of part-time job is 650,000 KRW. Looking at coverage rate of social insurance, rate for national pension and unemployment insurance is only 13.9% and 16.3% respectively, which show these part-time jobs are very poor in the sense that the Labor Standard Act is not secured to them. Nonetheless, instead of taking measures to enhance working condition in labor market, government spread false information as if part-time jobs are jobs for women under the name of ‘work-life balance’. However women don’t want part-time jobs but want decent jobs which they pursue stable income and self-fulfillment through. 

 The worst feature of irregular workers is instability. Even though government insists part-time jobs are desirable and are regular position, it is almost impossible that part-time jobs are stable income source. Moreover, it can’t be changed that part-time jobs are irregular jobs with even rhetoric for part-time job to be considered nicely. 

 “I do not want something that my wage surges remarkably. Rather, I thought if government considers someone like us, it would be of help to heart.” a part-time public servant women worker say. 

 If considering such mind of woman worker, government should not push a policy to expand part-time job, but put more effort to conversion to permanent position for irregular worker who are discriminated badly. Part-time job would be used wrongfully to reduce regular position and as a tool to avoid conversion to permanent position. Government should face up to the reality that part-time jobs, government try to create more, are just as another type of irregular position where workers can’t help working as lifelong part-timer.