<2009’ Training for Counselors for Tackling Women's Unemployment and Poverty>



On March 19, 2009, training for counselors for Tackling Women’s Unemployment and Poverty was provided.

In order to solidify counseling, in the training  participated by nationwide 11 branches of the Hotline for Equality, regional Self-sufficiency Promotion Centers, and KWWA and its regional branches, they shared information on changes in welfare systems enforced in this year. 

After participants whose jobs are counseling in these organizations learned ‘changed welfare systems in 2009’ (instructed by Ahn Sang-hyup, Korea Research & Counseling Institute on Poverty), they discussed the activity directions of women’s unemployment and poverty, taken by each regional organization on the topic of ‘increasing women’s unemployment and poverty, and reaction of KWWA and its regional organizations in 2009’ (instructed by Choi Sangrim, advisory member of KWWA).

Participants learned about new systems including various housing support systems, and EITC. We hope they can effectively utilize the systems for counselees.

<The 2nd labor forum on ‘indirect employment’: in-house outsourcing and the Labor Law 2>

In order to search for various ways to tackle indirect employment affecting women which continues a trend of increase, the KWWA and KWTU looked at regulations regarding indirect employment in the 2nd labor forum as well as the 1st labor forum. 

In-house outsourcing in Korea is as wide spread as people associate indirect employment to in-house outsourcing. In fact, since the division between dispatched employment and in-house outsourcing is very unclear and workers are mostly illegally dispatched, measures should be taken. However, using the economic crisis as an excuse, the government has attempted to make undesirable amendment of the Temporary Employee Protection Act, by allowing of overall dispatched employment.  Because no regulations or restrictions on in-house outsourcing are imposed, a wide range of dispatched employment and subcontracting will be employed in the society.

If raised is the point that in-house subcontracting is illegal,
-when the subcontracting company is not able to have independent management, the actual employment relation between outsourced workers and the actual user is considered as ‘implied employment contract.’ In this case, it is apparently decided as camouflaged outsourcing or subcontracting.
-If this judgment is made, since outsourced workers can be regarded as indirectly employed regular workers by the actual user, full coverage including retirement allowances and wages should be compensated from the point when they become employed.  If the company does not try to fulfill this, it has to dismiss workers. However, whether the dismissal is legal and suitable should be judged in the court.

However, in case in which it is decided that the subcontractor has independent management, whether the employment is illegal dispatch or not will be judged.  So far, only camouflaged dispatched employment which is actual outsourcing has been considered as an important issue by the court.

However, at this point in the case of undisguised dispatched employment, the dispatches, not allowed by the Temporary Employee Protection Act have failed in the court. That is because the Temporary Employee Protection Act regulates only proper dispatches.  However, exceptionally, like the Yesco case, illegal dispatches should be regulated by the law.

Like the Yesco case, illegal dispatches can be decided by the Temporary Employee Protection Act, and the illegal dispatches also be regulated by the Employment Security Act.

The following suggestions were made during the forum in order to regulate in-house outsourcing legally:
- If businesses are not shut down and continued to be run by new subjects, even though there are changes in subjects of businesses, the businesses should not be considered by the sales of operations but the concept of business transfers.
- As long as the contractor and the subcontractor form ‘one business’ due to the expansion of user’s responsibility, both of the contractor and the subcontractor should take responsibility in solidarity, in relation to the application of the labor related law.
- The Discrimination Prevention Act should be enacted. 

The 1st and 2nd labor forums gave us good opportunities to discuss formulas to tackle the issue of in-house outsourcing.  Even though there is a long way to go, the forums served as springboards for realizing the importance of positive precedents and the efforts to make legal reforms.

<Press conference by women’s and the women’s circle against reducing the National Human Rights Commission of Korea> 

Our demands:
- Immediately withdraw the policy to reduce the National Human Rights Commission of Korea which is a disgrace in the international community.
- The Lee Myeong Bak government should stop the attempt to weaken the independence of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea immediately.
-  The Lee Myeong Bak authorities should bolster human rights for the social weaker and women.

On March 25, 2009, Korean women’s organizations and women’s circle held a press conference against the reduction of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea at the back gate of the Integrated Government Building.

The Lee Myeong Bak authorities announced to reduce the structure of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea by 21% within March.  Since the commission has worked hard to improve human rights for women, the social weaker and minorities and ordinary people, the reduction means the proclamation to downgrade human rights to a less developed country.

According to statistics by the UNDP, the level of Korean women’s status dropped from 64 amongst 108 countries in 2007 to 68 in 2008. The human right report written by the U.S. Department of State said that Korean women still experienced social discrimination and sex crimes, domestic violence and trafficking of women are severe, and moreover women are exposed to sex harassment and discrimination in terms of employment, income and promotion.  Nevertheless, gender discrimination and sex harassment were transferred to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea from the Ministry of Women, and what is worse, the merger and abolition of the activities will cause the reduction.

In addition, in the poor situation of the Korean society in which the violation of human rights by the public power comprises more than 80% of the whole violation cases, political independence of the government is very essential for the existence of the commission. However, the revision of office regulations and operation and management of employees will substantially violate the independence of the commission.

Accordingly, human right organizations and groups of disabled people resolved to take action against the shrinking of the commission, and further we, the Korean women’s circle also speak up in one voice against the reduction.

First, speeches were made by Choi Young-ae, previous standing committee member of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, Han Kuk-yeom, chairperson of Women Migrants Humanrights Center, Nam-Yoon Insoon, co-chairperson of the KWAU. Then, after Won Min-kyung, president of the women’s human right committee of Minbyun-Lawyers for a Democratic Society and Yoon Soo-kyung, co-chairperson of Women Making Peace read out the press conference declaration, a performance titled ‘Roses of human rights on Wednesdays’ was carried out in which various groups of women who had joined the press conference took part  together.

<1st policy workshop on searching for women’s employment welfare strategies: in the passionate mood created by the instructors and participants>

The 1st policy workshop on searching for women’s employment welfare strategies was held on March 31, 2009.  It was hosted to react to women’s employment and job crisis, and the crowded workshop demonstrated high interest in the topic.

The first lecture was about the policy comparison regarding the reaction to this economic crisis, and the second lecture is about ‘climate changes, energy crisis and our reaction: focusing on the criticism on the government’s low carbon green growth discussion’.

In the first lecture, the instructor identified that it depended on the subjects if the current economic crisis which was worsened and transferred to the real economic crisis would terminate 30 year neo-liberalism or has been getting worse, and highlighted financial normalization and domestic demand activation should be carried out above all in order to overcome this crisis. In particular, since neo-liberalism is a system to exclude and block employment and income-earning, he stressed to create advance economic circulation structures to overcome this contradiction.

The 2nd lecture is about climate changes and energy crisis, and it evoked and opened our eyes to the causes of energy crisis and significances that we had not recognized yet. Especially, we were shocked about the fact that the climate change by only 2 ℃ made dinosaurs extinct, which means changes in climates have a very powerful impact on ecosystem.  Since changes in climates usually result from energy crisis, we realized the necessity to change our lifestyle to solve the energy matters.

The green growth by the Lee Myeong Bak authorities excludes the concept of social equality. In addition, in the budget related to the green growth, the great majority is involved in widening and dredging the 4 rivers and construction, which is not relevant to the green growth.  Especially, the instructor stressed it should be very urgent to save and give life to branches of rivers rather than the mainstreams of the 4 rivers, in order to settle the shortage of water.

We are very thankful to many participants from KWAU, Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the Democratic Labor Party, and others.  We hope to see them in our 2nd workshop, as well.

<Participatory learning coordinator’s training: In order to improve educational planning and coordinators’ capabilities>

On April 17th and 18th, 2009, the KWWA and the Working Women Academy jointly hosted 2009’s participatory learning coordinators’ training. 33 activists from the whole KWWA’s regional organizations joined the training, and they were divided into three teams.  The basic course and supplementary course focused on personal presentation.

Major programs in the basic course were opening-mind, self-respect training, making a speech in front of the public, and improving feedbacks.  In the supplementary program focused on human relationship training, education planning training, presentation by participants and improving feedbacks.

This training course had a great chance to get familiar with one another because many newcomers took part.  Some of them evaluated that the courses were so good that they could carry out them as coordinators in practice right away: and others appraised that they would not tremble with fear before many people, and they can organize meetings with more confidence.

On the second day after the training, participants had a good time of wandering and roaming around the Hongik University, because the venue was quite close to the school.  Regional participants said that they also enjoyed the trip to Seoul for a long time…

<Another attempt to react to this economic crisis: holding the first workshop of social economic activation strategy based on reciprocity and solidarity>  

On April 21, 2009, the KWWA hosted the 1st workshop of social economic activation strategy research based on reciprocity and solidarity.  The workshop was to check our social economic activities by section, including social jobs, social enterprises, National Cooperative of House Managers (NCHM), community coin activities, and to search for future directions of our social economy.

The first topic for discussion was ‘the labor movement and green community economy’, which was presented by Park Seung-ok, ex-chairperson of the Citizen Power.  As soon as his lecture started, he made aware of the importance of saving energy, asking us to turn the light at the back of the lecture room. The speaker stressed that we have limited usable energy, because energy is generated mostly by atomic power and fossil fuel such as atomic power, petroleum, coal, and gas.  Especially, in a near future, petroleum will be exhausted; and even though alternative energy is developed, it is not sustainable because it is generated from the nature.  Since it is evitable for energy to bring about the food crisis (Think about the production of a variety of agricultural machines, and petroleum used in diverse agricultural production), the current economy exhausting energy from the nature is not sustainable. Accordingly, he claimed on the importance of local community, especially community-based economy and green economy, based on but reciprocity and cooperation on not profitability.

The second topic for discussion was ‘norms of social economy and movement tasks’ delivered by Jang Won-bong, an adjunct professor of SungKongHoe University.  The instructor asked us a question if a social enterprise is a choice, although it should be an alternative for others if a social enterprise can be alternative economies. Social enterprises should be run based on the 3rd sector of the civil society such as reciprocity and cooperation, but currently social enterprises focus on the 2nd sector including the creation of better income structure and the reinforcement of market competition, due to the pressure from the market.  Therefore, in order to boost up social economy such as social enterprises and cooperatives and to find a way toward the civil society, he emphasized the necessity of studies and rehabilitation training in order not to follow systematic assimilation to the market in conformity with the government’s measures.

The social economic activation strategy study team completed the 1st workshop, deciding to carry out studies and discussions side by side in the next meeting after completing regional concerns for social economy and making a list of topics for discussion.

<A happy world without any poverty and violence, let’s create— Women’s Rally in commemoration of 101 year anniversary of International Women’s Day>



On March 8, 2009 Women’s Rally was held in commemoration of 101 year anniversary of International Women’s Day.  The KWWA also took a part in this rally as an important organizer with its regional organizations.  First of all, djembe was performed as an opening performance. The djembe performers are 60 KWWA members!  They learned in a very delightful joy, how to play the drum just one hour earlier than the opening ceremony.

A major slogan in this rally was “Women create, a happy world without poverty and violence!” It contains the shade of the poverty in face of the economic crisis and the voice of women who are exposed to a variety of violence. The main slogan of this year in the rally was “1,00,0000 decent job creation, objection to the decreased taxes of the rich, expansion and increase of education and welfare, and protection of democracy and women’s human rights.”  About 800 participants made these demands together. The congratulatory address by Hahn Myeongsook, previous prime minister encouraged participants a lot to wiggle out of difficulties and songs by Kang Sahn-ae, a famous singer cheered us a lot.

All of the participants at a parade protested against the curtailment of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea in front of the headquarters of the commission, shouted anti-Chosun Ilbo in front of the headquarters, and demanded the protection of democracy at the top of their throats, having a distant view of the Chung Wa Dae (the Blue House). After the parade, while the 58 88CC golf caddies who received suspensions danced to cheer people up, participants hoped them to be reinstated.

<88CC golf caddies want to work!>



In the cold morning of March 10, 2009 in front of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, a press conference amongst women’s organizations was staged to demand to stop collective dismissals and violence against 88CC golf caddies and to settle down the matter through communications between the labor and the management.  It was the press conference to show views of women’s circles (Korean Women’s Associations United, Korean Women Workers Association, Korean Womenlink, Korean Women’s Trade Union) regarding the collective punishment and dismissals against 88CC golf caddies unsettled for 5 months.  The Korean women’s circle highlighted suppression against the labor union and violence against women specially hired workers, especially golf caddies which are women concentrated work.

88CC golf caddies are specially hired workers. However, they established the first trade union amongst golf caddies and it is a legal trade union. Since 1999, their collective agreement has been renewed three times. Nevertheless, when directors and field managers were changed in June 2009, after a new regime was changed, the matter has arisen: as soon as the new field manager was appointed, he threatened trade union executives saying “Because of the change of administration you are in hard times.  The administration has switched from leftists to the right wing.”  Furthermore, the managers declared a war against the trade union, saying the branch president “You can’t work nor carry out union activities any more. What’s this? You did everything in the collective agreement as you wanted. I think I need to perform an exorcism.” However, when the 88CC union brought a suit against this statement to the Ministry of Labor, the managers denied their comment.

In September when a customer complained about the rudeness of the field manager to the company president, he shifted the responsibility to a union golf caddy and stopped her from going on a field trip.  Against this incident, union members joined a 3 hour picketing and wrote their opinion on the online board of the Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs, and the unionist who were stopped working waged one person demonstration in front of the ministry. On September 24, 2009, the company expelled the unionist from its membership. (It means she can’t work as a golf caddy anymore.) In addition on November, the company suspended 52 union members from going on a field trip, under the excuse of their falls from the grace of the company. The field managers promised that the 88CC union members could be restored to work if they write pledges and introspection. However, they have forced union members to secede from the union and to join a council ruled by the management if the union members brought introspection and pledges.  The golf caddies who cannot join any field trips mean actual dismissals, in fact.

In December, the company accused 22 union members of interference in the execution of its duty, defamation, and violation of the information and communications related act.  In addition, on January 14th, 2009, the company expelled three union members from its membership.  What is worse, in February 28, 2009, field managers beat two union executives and broke down their mobile phones and cameras.  The union members were diagnosed with three week treatment.

The women’s circle demanded the Minister to have interview with them before the press conference. However, the Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs refused that and made a poor excuse that the ministry has consigned 88CC. However, the earnings from 88CC are sent to the Ministry and the golf course is run with the budget from the Patriot fund. According to clause No. 5 of the general rules on the budget regarding 88CC, increases in budget for personnel should be decided by the board of directors, and changes in related items should be approved by the Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs. Is it ironical that the Ministry is not responsible in terms of management and operation of the golf course even though an approval regarding the increase in budget has to be gained from the Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs?

In the press conference, Park Youngmi, co-chairperson of the KWAU strongly denounced the ministry, saying “Women workers’ human rights have been violated seriously.  The Ministry of Patriot and Veteran Affairs gives up its social responsibility to control and administer unfair labor practices in its agency and protect workers who are the social weaker.” 

In the press conference, Kim Eun-sook, 88CC union branch president assured “We shall be united for us to protect our legal trade union and go back to our work.”

<Publishing ”Weaving Tapestries of Hope: a herstory of 20 year of the KWWA” >



Since 2007 when it was 20 years of the KWWA, the publication of its herstory had been planned, and finally “Weaving Tapestries of Hope” in Korean was published.  There were two sections in the book: In the first section, 20 year activities of the KWWA between 1987 and 2006 were described; and in the second section, the lives of 12 women workers were depicted vividly.

The first part regarding KWWA’s 20 year of activities, outcomes and tasks were written by Sohn Young Ju, a previous secretary-general and the evaluation team.  Ms. Sohn collected data and wrote the draft, and the evaluation team consisting of 8 previous and present fulltime activists had evaluation and discussion several times.  It contains various important moments in details: the social atmosphere and live testimony when the KWWA was created in 1987; and how to organize unemployed women and how to socially raise their issues in face of the Korean economic crisis in 1997; since the economic crisis, KWWA’s reactions and countermeasures regarding women workers who became irregular and in poverty, and in 2008 new vision set in the course when its herstory of 20 years was arranged.  You can feel the heartbeats and breaths that KWWA have taken for 20 years. “Weaving Tapestries of Hope” enables you to listen to so vivid and dynamic situations as to a herstory of 20 years of KWWA that you can draw pictures about the herstory.

The 2nd section is about ‘my life and my work’ of 12 women workers, which was written by Shin Kyeong-A, a professor of sociology of the Hallym University. The second sector portrays vivid stories regarding how 12 women workers whose jobs are in women workers concentrated industries have led her lives for the past 20 years, shed tears, but they had to stand up firmly. The section covers the stories about a sewer and a woman worker who were in charge of electronic assembly in their 50s, and a bank clerk, clerical worker, service worker, insurance saleswoman, telemarketer, and nurse in their 40s, a programmer, care worker, and clerical worker in their 30s, and a woman unemployed university graduator in her 20s.  Most of them were from poor families. Because their mothers were breadwinners, they were not able to starve and able to complete up to their middle schools or high schools. Since they saw their mothers working hard all the way, they tried to gain things with their clear economic motives.  These women who tried to lead a subjective and independent life with strong self-motivation have gone through a lot of difficulties and obstacles, which shows how tired women and workers are in the Korean society.

“Weaving Tapestries of Hope” was also published in English, too. However the English version has only the first section.

Each book is 10,000 won, and it will be distributed free to KWWA’s members.

<Seed managing activists learn! Play! And their energy become recharged!>



Between February 19 and 20, 2009, nationwide seed managing activists held a ‘Workshop of 2009 for Seed Managing Activists for Exchanging Hope,’ visiting to see the Wonju Cooperative Movement and listening to the history of the cooperative movement and its current state and vision.

Wonju is an important place in the Korean history, where the democracy movement against dictatorship has been waged, led by Moo-wi-dang Jang IL-soon and Bishop Ji Haksoon, and Kim Ji-ha, since 1970s, and where the cooperative movement is already flowered based on self-government and cooperation amongst local people.  To deepen their understanding on the cooperative movement and discuss ways to boost the movement for exchanging hope, the activists visited Wonju. 

Seed managing activists’ schedule was like that: visiting Moo-wi-dang memorial → listening to the history and current state of the Wonju Cooperative Movement (presented by its secretary general) → visiting the Wonju Medical Living Cooperative → listening up to cases of Nuri  Credit union and Kalgury Credit Union → Visiting Wonju village center→ having dinner at a local organic restaurant → Staying in the  Toji  Foundation of Culture and having discussion (theme: major action plans and practical strategies of KWWA’s seed exchanging movement in 2009) → Visiting the Toji park → climbing Chi-ak-san mountain. 

The night sky at Wonju city was starry and beautiful.  We sharing our opinions together like this: ‘We are inspired by the cooperative movement.  I am very moved and inspired by ‘I fall down everyday but I also rise again everyday’, the comment by the Moo-wi-dang. I want to live in Wonju.  The activity for the long history is also very impressive. However, activities by women and the youth seem poorer. After I listened to the stories about the cooperative movement, I feel boosting membership participation is more important than local resource liaison.’ We also discussed ways to boost regional branches’ exchanging hope and made practical plans.  Next morning when we realized it had snowed in large flakes the previous night, happily we went to Toji park and Chi-ak-san mountain. 

I would like to thank you for your efforts, activists.  Let’s conduct a strong exchanging hope movement to help our members who shrink up from difficult livelihood to pull their shoulders back!!