[no.21]The first year of ILO home care workers' agreement ratification campaign: 2012 marked as the first year of home care workers' protection

2012.2.10 No.21
	<The first year of ILO home care workers' agreement ratification campaign: 2012 marked as the first year of home care workers' protection>
	「Korean Care Workers NGO Network waged home care workers' agreement ratification campaign -2010 marked as the first year for home care workers' protection, on December 19, 2011 at 11:30 am in front of Financial Building at the Chonggye Plaza. In celebration of international home care workers' day on December 18, this campaign planned to push for the ratification of ILO home care workers' agreement. Presently, ILO home care workers' agreement was ready for the ratification in two countries, IDWN, ITUC, and IUF carried on an international campaign for ratification with groups of the persons concerned, NGOs, and trade unions. For this, Korea held the campaign today. more>>
	<Hosting 2011's Photo Expo for Exchanging Hopes>
	On the past November 16, about our 80 activists and members from our 11 branches nationwide took part in 2011's Photo Expo for Exchanging Hopes at our Hall of Education. The events are composed of three sessions: the 1st session was to send ‘piggy bank of Hopes’ to Indian poor women; the 2nd session to present cases for action regarding social economy; and 3rd session to hold a market for Exchanging Hopes entitled ‘the Joy of Sharing, Happy Smile.’ Over a year, activists and members from our 11 branches collected ‘piggy bank of Hopes’ worth 3 million Won to support livestocks for poor Indian women. With the money 10 Indian women can have a cow of Hope, because a cow cost about 300,000 Won. On that day, Maria Rhie, a standing director of Korea Hope Foundation expressed her thanks to our members and staff persons who raised the fund. more>>
	<Officially opening 'Ilonet,' a job community for part-timers and full-timers>
	After we had dinner with the clinic doctor, other nurses and pharmaceutical company staff, and then, we went to a singing room. Whenever we went to a singing room, the clinic doctor asked me to dance with him. - -;; I told him I'd like to go back home, but he forced me not to go and serve drinks to him. This happened so many times. Please tell me how to manage this situation, without my becoming a wet carpet in this situation? - -;; (full-time worker, in the health and social welfare sector, in the service industry) (on August 18, 2011) On October 19, 2011, 'Ilonet' a job online community was officially opened with the mobile page, where workers are able to counsel their job related problems and difficulties with professionals using their nicknames. Last August 17, Korean Women Workers Association (KWWA) and Youth Union temporarily opened the 'Ilonet', and started their official services after some more supplementations. more>>
	<Fathers need paternity leave!>
	October 18, 2011, Women’s Action for Decent Lives and Jobs (WADLJ) hosted a press conference at the Hall of Discussion belonging to the National Assembly, in order to promote legal reforms regarding “infant-care paternity leave”. In Korea, the only way to encourage males to participate in childcare is to take paternity leave. However, last year, only 819 males used paternity leave since companies are not happy with it and paternity leave is poorly-paid. Infant-care paternity leave aims at setting up another leave for males, aside from the present legal paid parental leave. Until babies are 1 year old, males can be allowed to take more than one month leave. The WADLJ suggested that the Employment Insurance should give up to 2 million Won for the leave. The legal reform shows too differences from the present one: the amount is much higher than the present maximum 1 million Won, and the system can be over-wrapped with women's maternity leave and parental leave. more>>