[vol.11] Feature_ The current situation of women employment in garment industry and its requested policy
WORKING WOMAN 2008. 3. 20. 11:19-
The characteristics of garment industry in Korea
- The situation of workers in garment industry
The industrial restructuring in garment industry, which includes a market control by monopolized enterprises, factor transferring to overseas and extreme sub -contracting, and a flexibility of work force, has given a great influence to all around the working conditions of workers in garment industry.
Reduction of employment and increasing of instable employment have made working conditions worse in terms of working hours, wage and welfare system, and have weaken a workers movement based on a shopfloor in garment industry.
-
Reduction of employment scale
- Increasing of instable employment
An extreme sub-contracting, getting poorer and smaller of business and increasing of unperpect employment types have caused a serious employment instability. Since there is no government restriction of factory transferring and factory lock-out, the factory transferring to overseas and mass-dismissal of workers have been regarded as a good point of national competition. It has been getting serious to workers in every part of working place and anytime.
- Long and irregular working hours
In 1991, the working hours in garment industry marked the longest one in manufacturing industry. However, under the poor and instable employment situation, the worst working conditions have been concealed and continued till today.
- Slavery labor based on contract work
The biggest problem related with wage is an expansion of contract work or even piece work. In order to get more wage, the workers who are on contract work tend to make long working hours. The nature of garment work is very irregular based on a new fashion or different season, so when there are a lot of works to do, the workers could not help accepting the long working hours.
- Poor welfare system
According to a survey by Federation of Democratic Labor Union, 84.8% of replied workers told they didn't have any monthly leave. Also, 64.7% of replied workers told there were no annual leave at all. 96% of replied women workers told they couldn't use a special monthly leave during a menstruation period. Only one woman among the 35 replied women workers told she had a paid maternity leave. The workers in poor and small factory are not benefited by leagal paid leave systems, and a level of maternity protection related with a pregnancy and a delivery is very low.
- Worsening labor movement
Reduction of workers' social space in garment industry reveals an absolute reduction of organizations and membership of the labor union.
Cheonggye Garment workers' union used to have 2,000 membership at 101 factories in 1989, however, they have 70 membership at 4 factories at present. It's mainly because of factory scale reduction and frequent lock-out.
Since 1990s, when the industrial restrcturing had been deepen in society in 1980s, the number of companies has been reduced, and the number of workers have been cut down very significantly. A scale of companies got smaller and smaller, the average number of workers in each company was 41.1 in 1990, and it was changed to 32.2 in 1995, which was 21.7% reduction of employment for five years.
- Increasing of instable employment
- Policy proposal on the garment industry
In order to block a big financial control and a production emptiness, the manufacturing system based on the low wage system should be out, and employment stability and high qualified work force should be in under the understanding of national economy.
-
Restriction on the low wage based on manufacturing system
- Industrial policy of the mid-small company
The rates of mid-small company among the manufacturing industry in Korea has been increased in terms of the number of companies, the number of workers, the total amount of production and the added value. However, the total amount of production and added value of the mid-small companies' are only 50% of the big companies'. Therefore, the mid-small compaies have to be conscious not to be subordinated in the big companies' profit structure.
A special financial support on the poor and small companies has to be intensified in order to let them get an official regislation and to get a better working conditions.
Finally, a financial support has to be given to the workers in mid-small companies for their employment stability. A settlement of retirement fund, education and training program fundraised by others and day care center have to be set under the financial support to ontribute the employment stability.
- Investment expansion on workers
First, reproduction of the skilled workers through the employment stability is required. It can help to block various changes in employment type, and to make skilled workers active in reproduction.
Second, intensifying a technical education and training is required. High qualified work force should be supplied in terms of work force stability. Third, the main focus has to be given to an expansion of day care center. Since garment industry is a women workers dominated, so it's very necessary to have reliable centers to guarantee women workers' reproduction.
(1) Restriction on the low wage intensity - overseas investment and on the international subcontracting strategy
A finalcial support and tax-cut down on direct overseas investment have to be erased. In case of oppressioon of workers' rights or violation of the labor law in that country, the investment license has to be canceled. If the country do not keep the international labor regulation, it must be got economic sanction such as blocking imports and highly taxation.
(2)Restriction on the unperpect employment like a house-subcontract
A nation-wide survey on the poor, unregistered workers has to be done with expanding practice of the labor standard law for them. The house subcontractors have to be protected under the law.
The application objects of industrial accidents insurance (at present, useful to the work place over 5 full-time workers) have to be expanded to all kinds of work places.
The house subcontractors' law has to be established as soon as possible in order to guarantee their basic rights, same as the ILO regulations.Through a settlement of final price decision based on the the amount of works, the cooperative relationship has to be set rather than a ruling and subordinating relationship.
- Industrial policy of the mid-small company
- The main tasks of the organizing movement in garment industry.
-
Organizing workers
- Exploring various ways of movement
'The Manufacturer Cooperative Association' movement which has been carried out by the garment workers is based on the principle of 'Common Investment, Common Manufacturing, Common Distribution and Cooperative Management'. It has been getting noticed as a new alternative workers movement.
Since the workers in poor factory or house based factory are not easy to be organized, we have to explore the ways of movement for them.
- Strenthening solidarity with women movement
The women workers movement, which is struggling to achieve workers' rights and revision of labor system, has to be united together with a general women movement with a common efforts and movement.
In regard to organize workers in garment industry, we have to consider the following points.
First, the main activists in garment industry have to be free from the general movement theory in the past. For example, the previous theory used be based on the male-dominated industry, heavy industry oriented and big company based. It's easy for us the garment workers' movement to put as a side-movement in general workers movement.Second, most of women workers in garment industry are married, for them to be in a subject leadership, the working environment also has to be considered. The women workers should be free from the double labor burden as a married women and workers.
Third, we have to try hard to organize house subcontracing workers.
- Exploring various ways of movement
A garment industry has been regarded as its high profits through a fast manufacturing process, as a living necessity industry, and as high-class fashion products which is related with a high value-added item.
The characteristics of this garment industry are: first, in terms of connecting and depending to other relevant industries, the garment industry produces a final process with a strong dependency from others. Second, the price of the products is very much depended on cloth, design and technics. Third, a nature of manufacturing process, technics and required work forces are decided according to producing items, their qualities and designs. Fourth, a garment industry is based on a low-wage and labor intensity, and at the same time, based on high technics. Fifth, it's always
required a new thing, and very sensitive to a new fashion. Sixth, most of workers in garment industry are women. It's originated from the male-dominated society, when men cut a pattern, women do sawing and assisting in everything. Seventh, since it's a city-oriented industry, and required enough work force, it also needs to be close to big cities for big markets. Finally, anyone can start to open this work with a small capital and even with himself or herself alone.