Press Conference to demand for the raise of the minimum wage to 10,000 won

'The wind of minimum wage raise, blow!'

- Decide the minimum wage that contribute to the solving the issues of social bi-polarization and wage gap between women and men!

June 25th, 2015

 Since the deputy finance minister's remarks that we need to raise the minimum wage to boost the domestic economy, debate around the minimum wage was heated as a social issue. However, the debate did not last long, apparently due to the opposition from the businesses, and the minimum wage meeting has started in the silence to decide the minimum wage for next year. In the sixth meeting of the committee meeting in June 23rd, the employers proposed to freeze of the minimum wage again, and even worse, they made insulting comments on the workers. The committee meeting is ongoing under the inappropriate atmosphere, far from its importance in deciding a national minimum wage.

 

 People who experience a direct impact from the minimum wage are low-income workers who earn the minimum wage and those who earn the less than the legal minimum wage. Today 2,270,000 of people are earning less than the minimum wage. Among them, women account for 1,480,000, irregular women workers account for1,400,000, and 62% of those who earn less than the minimum wage are irregular women workers. On top of that, more than two-millions of workers under indirect employment and part-time workers are affected from the minimum wage.

 

 Today, eight-millions of women workers exist in Korea. 56,11% of them, which correspond to 4,500,000 of women workers, are irregular workers and 61% of these irregular women workers belong to low-income group. Still, the country tops the wage gap between men and women among OECD countries. Abolishing discrimination in the labor market is a way to solving to problem of social bi-polarization. Are not we ready to give up the top spot in the OECD gender wage gap ranking ?

 

 The key to abolish the wage discrimination against women is to raise the minimum wage. Under the current minimum wage, the hourly wage is 5,580 won, and the monthly wage is 1,160,000 won. Aren’t we supposed to be able to make living when we work hard for a month? 2,090,000 won per month and 10,000won per hour are right and just pay for those who work hard.

 

 In today's harsh economy climate, the majority of people in our society are struggling to manage their lives. It is especially true for working women. The problem of social bi-polarization, which is the biggest issue of our society today, results in the issue of discrimination. It is especially necessary to prioritize this issue when times are rough. It is difficult times, but we need to develop alternatives and change the reality step by step. To the committee that will make a decision this month, we ask for the right decision on the minimum wage for next year, which will be the starting point of new era with 10,000 won minimum wage.

 

June 25th, 2015

Women workers who demand the raise of the minimum wage to 10,000 won.