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2002-10-28 14:50:52, 조회 : 69 |
Equal Rights Counselling
Analysis on Equal Rights Counselling Center
- Analysis on the figures drawn by the Equal Rights Counselling in 1999 -
In Soon Wang (Sec. Gen., KWWAU)
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Period of counselling : December 1999 ~ January Number counselled totaled 1,273 cases (ones re-counselled are excluded.)
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The total number counselled excluding cases re-counseled was 1,273. Among them, after 324 cases that were classified into others were excluded, out of the remaining 949 cases, 740 cases were about employ- ment insecurity such as with- held back wages, lay-offs, unfair labor practices, and unfair dismissals, which accounted for 78%.
This represents serious levels of employ- ment insecurity for women workers in reality. Out of the 949 cases, 85 cases were divided into sexual harassment in the workplace (9.0%), 63 cases discriminations in the workplace such as discriminative wage systems and discrimination in promotion (6.6%), 41 cases maternity protections (4.3%) and 20 cases occupational diseases (1.2%).
In details, according to counselling related to employment insecurity which was the great majority, withheld back wages accounted for 504 cases (53.0%), layoffs and discriminative dismissals and unfair dismissals, and discriminative dismissals for 180 cases (19.0%), unfair labor practices 56 cases (6.0%).
< Cases counselled in 1998 and 1999 >
case counselled
1998
1999
Employment insecurity
912 cases
740 cases
Sexual Harassment in the workplace
28
84
discrimination
39
63
Maternity protection.and occupational health and safety
21
61
others
102
324
total
1102
1273
(*Cases re-counselled were excluded.)
The cases classified into others were about verbal violence and violent abuse in the workplace, four(4) Korean social security insurances, and difficulties related to their work and lives (education of their children, divorces and so on).
Compared to ones in 1998, in 1999 outstanding were cases counselled relating to verbal violence and violent abuse in the workplace, and unemployment insurance. Additionally, there was the bigger number of counselling done reqarding on sexual harassment.
The main causes of withheld back wages were bankruptcies, shut-downs, closure of factories besides withheld back wages under the pretext of financial difficulties in the Korean economic crisis.
If cases of dismissals are considered, there were higher number of discriminative unfair ones, illegal and unfair ones that do not follow regulations concering on dismissals , and no discussion dismissals occurring at very small companies and unreasonable ones.
In particular, there were outstandingly higher pressures on retirement and dismissals related to pregnancy and child-delivering, pressures on forced job transfers into irregular workers, relative to ones in previous years.
On the other hand, there was an increase in cases related to maternity protection. This shows unfair labor practices such as forced retirement on pregnancy and child-delivering have been wide-spread.
Especially, there is an increasing trends towards the number of irregular women workers and they are not properly protected by the Labor Standard Law. This shows women workers' worsening situation in which maternity protection has been retroqrade under the excuse of the Korean economic crisis.
Cases sexual harassment in the workplace totaled 85. By case, 43 cases were involved in physical sexual harassment, 31 verbal harassment, 5 visual sexual harassment, and 6 others. According to perpetrators, 24 cases of sexual harassment were done by company owners, 50 by superiors, 6 by co-workers, 1 by a superior and 3 cases by others (one was excluded because there was no proper answer).
Distribution according to counselees
If Distribution according to counselees in 19999 is considered, women workers working in a company with less than 10 employees were great majority of the counselees. In addition, there was an increasing number of irregular workers, which shows that there has been a far higher number of them.
A higher number of counselling with married women
< Ratio between married women and unmarried women workers > 1998
1999
Unmarried
33.7%
34.4%
Married
66.3%
65.6%
Excluding 101 cases with no answers, unmarried women accounted for 403 cases (34.4%), married women for 769 (65.6%). The rate of counselling with married women was far higher. This shows the reality that married women workers work in very
small-size companies and that their work hours have been increasing. Additionally, this represents a variety of unfair practices and difficulties faced by married women workers at home and in the workplace.
a far higher percent of women working in companies where workers are unorganized
Excluding cases with no answers, amongst the remaining 947, 82 cases (8.7%) occurred in companies where a trade union is organized and 865 (91.3%) were cases counseled with women workers who worked in companies where no trade union is set up.
In 1998, was far higher the rate of unorganized women workers. This shows the recent reality that trade union participation rate of women workers is less than 10%.
On the other hand, amongst the 82 cases with women workers who worked in the company where a trade union is organized, 51 women workers joined the trade union. This shows that women workers are usually excluded from a trade union, even though it is unorganized in the workplace.
This is because women workers are mostly irregular workers and so, only certain groups of workers are selectively able to join a trade union.
< percentage of counselled by workplace > 1998
1999
organization
86.2%
91.3%
Cases counselled by company size
Excluding 433 cases with no answers, out of the remaining 840 cases, counselees working in companies with less than 5 workers accounted for 216 cases (25.7%), between 5 and 9 workers for 25.5%, between 10 and 29 workers for 22.6%, and more than 30 workers for 26.2%.
An increasing number of counselling with irregular workers
Excluding 323 cases with no answers, out of the remaining 950 cases, regular workers accounted for 646 cases (68%), and irregular workers for 304 cases (32%). The number of counselling with irregular workers have been continuously increasing.
1998
1999
regular workers
72.1%
68%
irregular workers
27.9%
32%
Distribution by industry
According to the industries involved, industry where the great majority of counselees were engaged was the manufacturing industry, and it was followed by social and personal service industry, wholesale and retail, restaurant and accommodation. Distribution by industry
1998
1999
manufacturing
61.2
41.7
social and personal service
27.1
33.1
financial and insurance industry
1.6
2.9
Wholesale and retail,restaurant and accommodation
6.4
10.8
storage,and communication
0.3
1.9
others
3.4
9.6
Distribution by occupation Distribution by occupation
1998
1999
production
50
29.5
clerical
23.2
29.9
sales
6.2
6.6
service
8.4
16.3
professional and skilled
7.3
11.1
administrative and management
0.6
1.7
others
4.3
4.9
According to the occupations involved, the largest number of occupation where the great majority of counselees were engaged was clerical, and it was followed by production and service related occupations.
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Korea Working Women's Network 2000 | | |