Lee Ju-Huan (KWWAU Head of Education)
Unpaid wages; illegal and unjust layoffs due to bankruptcy and discontinuance of business; analysis of 348 recent(Jan-April) calls to the 'phone of equality'
This is a summary of the counselling calls that were registered in the Seoul, Inchon, and Pusan areas at the 'phone of equality,' a counselling agency that specializes in women's employment. 348 total calls were registered at the 'phone of equality' (repeat calls and employment advice calls are excluded).
188 calls which reflects the highest percentage of calls, were about unpaid wages. Of these 188 calls, 91 calls (48.4%) were about unpaid wages due to bankruptcy and discontinuance of businesses, displaying the seriousness of effects from the IMF.
Calls about unjust layoffs were the second highest, representing 26% of the calls. Regarding the different aspects of unjust layoffs, layoffs due to the reduction of the entire work force took up the highest percentage with 28.6%. Of these 73.1% were in the form of advised retirement. In 1998 calls related to employment rose sharply while calls related to discrimination (3.7% discriminatory promotions and pay) and sexual harassment(3.7%) were relatively down.
Excluding callers who chose not to answer questions, calls from married females numbered around 70%, while calls from the unorganized labor force sector amounted to 78.6% of the total calls, showing that the suffering of married female workers in the unorganized labor force sector is very serious.
Also, dismissed women who are heads of their households have a much tougher time making a living. The absence of any countermeasures to combat female unemployment leaves them with no other options. For 2 months (from March to April) 422 job applications were submitted to the employment centers in the areas of Seoul, Inchon, and Pusan, showing the will of the women to find jobs.
However, there is still very little work and it is tough to find a job. The situation is even worse for married female workers over 40 who have lost their jobs, especially because the recent trend is to employ women under 35 to work as waitresses, domestic workers and nurses.
- Examples of the types of counselling calls
- Unpaid wages due to deteriorating businesses. Intentionally unpaid wages on the rise
Because of our country's subcontracting system and also because small factories usually have very little capital and are usually subcontracted, unpaid wages are not an unusal phenomenon. However, the situation has become much more frequent and serious.
Chronically delayed payments by companies are threatening the livelihood of poor workers, and intentionally delayed payments by corrupt, self-interested management are also a problem.
I am 35 and have spent 10 years working at a sewing machine. I left my 2 children at a nursery and entered a factory with about 20 workers. I had to quit because the company would not pay me for over 2 months. The company kept on telling me to wait, saying the company was in a bad situation. Because of the high cost of the nursery I thought about staying home to save money, but my husband, who works and gets paid by the day, began to get less and less work. I just could not sit around while the situation got worse and worse. So I got another job but again the company would not pay us for over 2 months. Even though we thought about organizing ourselves to demand our pay, nobody wanted to take the risk at a time when it's tough to get another job. We've just been worrying. Before, we could take breaks and talk to each other which partially relieved our stress, but now the atmosphere is so cold that everyone just works.
I've worked for 3 years at a company in Masan. Of the 56 workers, 10 workers have been laid off and 2 have voluntarily retired. The company has paid me only for being fired but has not paid the retirement pay for over a month. Is there any way I can get it?
My company shut down 12/28/97 and went bankrupt 01/05/98 but changed the name and president and opened up another company close by with 80 of the 130 original workers and is currently in operation. I have not received a month's pay, incentives or any retirement pay. Can I get it?
I work at a manufacturing company with 6 workers. The company's in bad condition so we get paid only about once every 2 months. I have worked for 4 months without pay and can't do it any longer. I know the situation of the company but I just can't work without pay. Will reporting it do any good?
- Unjust layoffs and unjust labor practices have become much more diverse in form
Counselling revealed the fact that workers did not know the exact legal standards for layoffs. The legalization of dismissals does not necessarily mean that anyone can be fired at will, but the reality is that anyone can be fired with just the words, "The company is in danger."
Especially in small factories and places without labor unions, the method most often used is to force workers to retire. Since they are retiring for 'personal reasons,' they are not eligible for unemployment pensions. If a direct discharge is difficult, workers are subject to illegal labor practices such as downgrades to irregular work and changes of job positions.
I am a 62 year old female worker who entered a sewing factory which employs about 55-60 workers. I was 15 days short of working a year when I injured my arm on January the 5th and returned to work on the 4th of March. But I was fired on the 14th of March, I was told it was because I was too old and that there were already too many workers. My monthly pay was 550,000won but after deducting retirement funds and medical insurance, my actual pay was about 480000-500000won. I haven't received any pay for my last ten days of work, and they said that I wasn't eligible for retirement pay.
H company employs about 300 workers and the 20 female workers work at accounting, calculation, and clerical work. Suddenly the company told us that all female workers would do contract work from now on and that we could leave the company if we didn't like it. They also told us that male workers who get low evaluation points would be contracted workers. But isn't it unjust to turn all female workers to contract workers without any provision?
I work at a sewing company and a few months ago, because the company was in trouble, I started working extra hours from 9 to 10 p.m. without extra pay. There used to be about 30 workers but now 15 do all the work. The president doesn't hire anyone new workers. My child is still young and it's not easy. Even the president's family comes to work because the company is in danger and I'm confused as to what to do. What should I do?
- Unjust discriminatory layoffs still going on
23 female workers at the Seoul research center and the Kwangju plant of XX electronics were forced to retire without prior notice. Most were married including 2 who were on leave because of pregnancy. They tried to buy them over with promises of 3 months pay and bonuses and attempted to buy out and even threaten pregnant workers, stressing that they were pregnant. The female workers who were notified collectively retaliated, reported it to the Ministry of Labor and even sent the story out on the newspaper but can't seem to find a solution to their problem.
I work at a communications company and the company reduced 20% of it's labor force. 3 people in my division were layed off and all were women. I was 9 months pregnant so I couldn't do anything. Can I receive unemployment pensions?
- Female heads of families lose their jobs! Livelihood endangered
Ms. Kim, who lives in a rental apartment and is raising 2 disabled kids, is 40 years old, divorced, and the female head of her family. She leads a hard life. Her daughter is in the 6th grade. She is handicapped and her brother is suffering from cerebral palsy. He is in treatment at a rehabilitation center. Ms Kim has worked diligently at companies that make buttons, towels, and accessories to make a living. But 3 months ago when she moved to her current apartment, she had to quit her last job. She hasn't been able to find another job for months since the IMF struck last December.
Ms. Jang is 48 years old and the female head of family. She lives in the southern part of Inchon. She lost her husband 20 years ago and currently lives with her daughter who is a college freshmen. She worked at H department store in the health food corner as a dispatched worker until she was fired in November '97, She is a high school graduate who at one time attended a broadcasting and communications college. She has worked at various sales positions at Daewoo electronics, department stores, and personal businesses but even though she did her best she cries out that she has not been able to find a job because she is old and has been married.
- Unpaid wages due to deteriorating businesses. Intentionally unpaid wages on the rise
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