[vol.8] Voices from the Field_Hope for workers who are working in small businesses

Hope for workers who are working in small businesses

Kyun, Ok Hei
(a press worker)

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I am a laborer engaged in printing work at Ulchiro. I've been doing an editing job on Macintosh for four years and sometime ago, I was fired for they could not pay me since there was no work. To rephrase this statement, because of my long work experience I was dismissed.

My problems did not end there. Seven months after being fired, I have not received my pay and of course, I have not yet received my retirement grants either. The president of the printing press instead said to me, "You know the environment here, nobody from this printing press receives their retirement grants."

Since the president delayed my pay I became so frustrated that I went to the Office of Labor Affairs. The person in charge asked me how many people were working in the press and as soon as I answered him, "four," he coldly told me, without looking at my face, that there was no way he could help me out.

After all, labor working in a small business with less than five people are not able to get basic legal protection as a laborer. Just because I was in this situation I had no right to various pensions, resignation grants, health care and medical care insurance. However maybe I am lucky for I did not suffer from any accident while I was working. If so, I would not be able to work and also be unable to receive workers' compensation.

Being left unpaid for several months, getting fired one day on the president's own accord, working overnight in a place without safety devices and if we have an accident there is no where else to turn to -- these are the poor working conditions which we face. Not only this, but we are also forced to work like machines.

This problem, that just because I was a small business laborer, I am not entitled to labor rights while many laborers in this country have the right, should not happening. I am strongly crying out for all labor in small businesses of less than five people to be fully protected by the Standard Labor Law and industrial accident compensation insurance, just like the noted patriot, Jun Tae-Il, who shouted out on behalf of labor for the application of the Standard Labor Law as he committed self-immolation in 1970.