'We are pro-style~,' 12-12-12 International Campaign for Home Care Workers:
"Ratify ILO Convention on fundamental human rights for domestic workers!!

 

On last December 5 when heavy snow was forecasted, people started to gather at the Kwang-wha-moon Square against the dark gray sky.

 

People wearing an apron and a hood are in a row, dancing passionately to the rhythm of one of the hottest music, 'Kangnam Style.' The people changed the lyrics to 'We are pro-style,' a version for home care workers, and sang and danced together.

 

"We are the women managing houses/ We are the leaders trying to removing social prejudices/ We are happy when the ILO Convention is to be ratified/ We are women doing such great activities.

 

We are women workers/ We are firm workers/ We work so hard in the workplaces/ We are professional workers working passionately/ We are women workers

 

Ratify the ILO Convention/ Yeah that's you HEY, Yeah That's you That's you Hey/ Ratify the ILO Convention/ Yeah that's you HEY, Yeah That's you That's you Hey/ Let's carry on until it's completed/ We're pro-style, pro-style/ We're pro-style, pro-style."

 

Why they were dancing at the Kwang-wha-moon Square on the snowy day was to demand the government to ratify 'The ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers,' as part of 12-12-12 International Campaign for Home Care Workers. Last year, the The ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers was passed with exclusive agreement in its 100th general assembly. However, the Korean government delayed the expression of its clear view and just said that it would need time to ratify the ILO Convention and reform the related Labor Standard Act, although home care workers are not covered by the Labor Standard Act.

That's why home care workers including household workers, care workers, and in-home nursing workers were gathering together and calling for the ratification of the ILO Convention, on that day, expressing their demands through their bodies. The 50 home care workers had a joyous and happy time although it was snowing a lot.

 

People were very happy because their laughters were echoing at the Kwang-wha-moon Square as well as the blessing of snowflakes were falling a lot, which seems to predict our victory in 2013.

 

 

[Declamation]

The 18th Korean president, ratify the ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers!

Do you know there are approximately 500,000 home care workers engaged in care service sectors such as household workers, baby sitting workers, care workers, postpartum health care workers, and geriatric care specialists?

 

An increasing number of women engaged in economic activities as well as a higher number of nuclear families and aged population, have caused both of the crisis in social care and socialization of care services, at the same time. The creation of decent jobs in the care service sector is regarded as crucial tasks in our society. For this, of course, we should cope with the social hazards such as the crisis in social care and employment insecurity in the sector.

 

About 300,000 workers in the informal sector who are dispatched to individual families are classified as 'domestic helpers' whom the Labor Standard Act does not cover, nor do industrial accident insurance and employment insurance, and basic social safety nets for working people.

 

Care workers are also workers because they work on the purpose of earning money. As needs for care services are increasing in our society, there have been an increasing number of care workers, too. We believe it is against the current of the time not to cover in-home care workers with the Labor Act though, on the ground of Clause No. 11 of the Labor Standard Act, 'Exclusion of domestic helpers,' and since the contract relationship is unclear and the government intervention is difficult because care labor usually takes place in a private space, individual home. However, the Labor Standard Act were enacted 60 years ago, which cannot cover new and modern matters.

 

Last year, in the 100th ILO general assembly, ‘The ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers,’ the last crucial issue in the international labor society was exclusively agreed, which means that the world recognized the nondiscriminatory and equal labor right of the total number of 100 million in-home workers and guaranteed of social security rights such as industrial hazard and employment insurances. Currently, 4 countries such as the Philippines, Uruguay, Mauritius, and Nicaragua have completed their ratification of the convention, and more than 10 countries like Germany, Italy and Singapore are under discussion. However, Korea voted for the convention in the ILO general assembly, but the government has not made any comment about the ratification nor taken any step since the adaptation of the convention in the international arena.

 

Under this situation, in last August, 15 assembly members belonging to Saenuri Party, Democratic United Party (DUP), and United Progressive Party (UPP) proposed ‘The ILO Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers. Unprecedentedly, the Foreign Affairs & Unification Committee approved it with the exclusive agreement. This shows the legal protection of 'home care workers' who had been classified in the informal workers so far and placed in the blind spot of the Labor Act, is a very urgent task in these times, beyond party interests.

 

" Consideration and Respect“ towards caring are the important values for overcoming and curing the social hazards of neo-liberalism which is on the basis of competition and zero-sum game. Therefore, we believe care work, viewed as not that profitable in the labor market, should be protected by the nation and society, and the quality of care work should also be insured by the society. We believe providing better working conditions for care workers is the way to enhance the quality of social care. The protection of labor rights of care workers makes contribution to the creation of more decent jobs and the changing of our society to a warmer and healthier caring society.

 

The presidential election day is just around the corner. We, home care workers firmly demand the presidential candidates that the ILO Convention should be the first international convention that the 18th Korean president would ratify. We also strongly called for the protection of labor rights of home care workers through the reform of the Labor Standard Act and Society Insurance Act.

 

December 5, 2012

 

Korean Care workers NGO Network
The Korean Care workers NGO Network is a solidarity organizations composed of 18 organizations.

Posted by KWWA
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