Working Women Vol.21

March, 2000
A edition committee member of KWWA
Translator: Angela Kang
Copy-editor: Rebecca Branford

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

◑ IN 2000

◑ Focus

Top ten news items from the women worker's sector in 1999

◑ Feature

1. Analysis of recruitment and job-seeking trends
2. Re-evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Countermeasure Program for Unemployed Women through Counseling
3.Sketch from Forum

◑ Voices from the workplace

Violence in the workplace: Kyoung Hyon Kim, a woman worker in Daejin Machine Co

Eight-year struggle against promotional discrimination

◑ International Solidarity

Rerport on the exchange program with Thalland and Indonesia

◑ Equal Rights Counselling

Analysis on Equal Rights Counselling Center

◑ Life story written by Park, Min-na

Yellow angel in Berlin

◑News

◑ Resolution

◑ Declaration for establishing the Action Center for Obtaining Irregular Women Workers' RightsDeclration for

Feature 1. Analysis of recruitment and job-seeking tends

The Problem of Female Unemployment in the Light of Recruitment and
Job-Seeking Trends
- Focusing on Women Beyond Middle Age -

Jin Young Park (Research Officer, KWWAU)

The mass media proclaims that the economy is growing and wages and increasing. However, women still seem to lead exhausting lives. A number of women visiting the Action Center for Unemployed Women still protest the difficulties they face finding new jobs. It is particularly hard for women above middle age to get work. The mass media recommends obtaining certain certificates or licenses to gain new employment, but it appears that in reality that finding a job takes a lot more. The Action Center for Unemployed Women conducted research into the cases of 1,441 clients at 7 ACWU branches in Seoul, Puchon, Ansan, Inchon, North Cholla, Kwangju, and Masan & Changwon, and through 500 recruiting centers in Seoul, Ansan, Inchon, North Cholla, Kwangju, and Masan & Changwon, in order to determine the root causes of the problem.

1. Job-Seeker Characteristics

The majority of the 1,441 job-seekers are in their 30s (35.1%) and 40s (30.4%). 18.2% of them are in their 20s and 82.9% of them are married.

47.3% of them identified themselves as family heads and 32.7% of them identified themselves as main earners in the family. The women with a spouse are not always in a better situation.

Among the married women, 32.8% of their spouses are unemployed, 26.1% of their spouses are in insecure employment, and 13.2% of their spouses are undergoing a business crisis. About 80% of the married women are seeking a job in needy circumstances.

The principal sector approached by the job-seekers is simple labor (20.9%), followed by manufacturing (16.9%) and public labor service work (15.8%). One significant observation which was made in relation to this research question was that more older women could not identify a particular sector in which they sought work. left this question unanswered.

It seems that 1) the older women have less of a chance to find work in the labor market, and 2) they are in the most desperate situation and will take any job. In terms of the sought employment conditions, regardless of age or marital status, a large proportion of the job-seekers - 45.4% - want a permanent job.

The working hours desired are under 9 hours per day for 37.9% and 9 hours per day for 24.9%. This in fact means that 72.8% of them wish to work for less than 9 hours a day. To the question of the anticipated monthly wage, 30.6% indicated ￦600,000. Excluding teen- agers, the older workers had lower expectations with regard to wages.

The gap between expected wages and the reality is very wide (see Graph 1). This shows that since the economic crisis, workers have had no other choice but to accept lower wages. The women workers aged between 40 and 70 face the widest differentiation between expected and real wages - a difference of over ￦100,000.

This indicates the unemployment problem facing women in this age group is extremely serious and is the source of demoralization and depression.

In other words, the only way for these women to beat unemployment and become competitive in the labor market is to accept reduced wages - resulting in another negative cycle of low wages.

2. Working conditions and the demands of the recruiting workplace

Recruiting workplaces have a very low enrollment rate in social insurances, which can be used as a measure of working conditions. Only 31.6% of workplaces are enrolled in medical insurance, 30.2% in industrial accident insurance, 35.6% in employment insurance, and 31.2% in public pensions. Only a third of workplaces are enrolled in the social insurances.

Regarding working hours, 16.4% of the subjects in our survey demanded 9 hours or under a day. 48.5% indicated a preference for 9 to 10 hours a day, 25.1% 10 to 12 hours a day, and 9.8% indicated over 12 hours a day. Furthermore, many workplaces notify employees that on top of their formal hours, "overtime is sometimes necessary" - suggesting that real working hours are longer than those officially listed.

In terms of wage, 37.6% of workplaces wish to pay ￦600,000 per month. An interesting outcome from the survey was the clear difference of desired worker age in different occupational sectors. In general, employers wish to hire workers no younger than 23.5 years old and no older than 34.8 years old.

But looking at the situation according to each industry, of manufacturing workplaces 31.6% limit worker age to their 20s, 23.0% to their 30s, and 28.6% to their 40s. Of the retail industry, 44.4% of workplaces limit worker age to their 20s and 36.5% to their 30s. In the case of restaurants and lodging businesses, 67.6% limit worker age to their 40s.

In accordance with the nature of the work, the manufacturing workplace worker age limit is in the early 40s, but in sales is limited to the 20s by 35.7% and 30s by 30.0%, and in office work is limited to the 20s by 69.4%. The average upper age limit is 43.2 years for simple labor, 40.6 years for manufacturing, 33.3 years old for sales, 27.3 years old for office work, and 33.4 years old for others.

Aside from the age limit, 35.0% of the manufacturing industry, where could be manufacturing workers and office workers, and 90.3% of restaurants and lodging businesses do not require any particular educational background. 55.0% of manufacturing workplace and 77.5% of simple labor workplaces do not care about educational background.

3. Comparison between recruiting workplaces and job-seekers regarding age

The age requirement problem illustrates the gap between demand and reality. In terms of wage requirements, there not much difference, as workers have learned to lower their expectations with regard to wages. In other words, the wages they indicate are based not on their real needs but according to the reality.

Let's think about the age problem more deeply. The average age of the female job-seeker is 38.7 years old and the upper age limit of the recruiting workplace is 40.6 years old.

However, the average sought age is 32.2 years old - much younger than the average female job-seeker. For the sales field, the average age of the job-seeker is 37.9 years old but the average age sought by the recruiting workplace is 27.8 years old and its upper age limit is 33.3 years old.

The average age of the job-seeker in the simple labor field is 44.2 years old. The sought average age of the recruiting workplace is 36.2 years old and its upper age limit is 43.2 years old. For office workers, the average age of the job-seeker is 28.9 years old but the average age sought by the workplace is 24.0 years old and their upper age limit is 27.3 years old.

There were women who sought jobs unconditionally but they are not listed on Table 1. Their average age is 43.5 years old. It appears the chances of them managing to get back i to get back into the labor market are very slim indeed.

4. Conclusion

As we have seen, the most serious obstacle for middle-aged women on the road to finding employment is the age limit. Although some of them can find work, they are likely to receive very low wages, and will not be able to find a job relevant to their education or experience.

Overall economic conditions are improving but income inequality is increasing. The unemployment problem facing middle-aged women workers seriously needs to be addressed. The majority of these workers are not well-educated and lack skills. They are the weakest social group in Korea.

According to our counselors, female job-seekers over 35 years old have no choice but to seek work in simple labor - despite the fact that some have a university education and other qualifications.

The level of wages they are prepared to accept - much lower than their previous wages - illustrates their suffering. These are the people who have suffered most from the IMF economic crisis.

It is imperative for the government to make efforts to assist this vulnerable sector of workers.

In these difficult circumstances, the government must strengthen its supervising and management role in order to illuminate age and sex discrimination and must implement public education programs on these subjects.

It could also create more positions in public works for middle-aged women workers.

Feature 2. counselling case studied

Re-evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Countermeasure Program
for Unemployed Women through Counseling

Moon Ja Jeong(Vice Chairwoman, Inchon WWA)

Even though we say that the unemployment rate is dropping as we overcome the economic crisis, the female unemployment rate at present (August 1999)

The level of wages they are prepared to accept - much lower than their previous wages - illustrates their suffering. These are the people who have suffered most from the IMF economic crisis. It is imperative for the government to make efforts to assist this vulnerable sector of workers.

In these difficult circumstances, the government must strengthen its supervising and management role in order to illuminate age and sex discrimination and must implement public education programs on these subjects.

It could also create more positions in public works for middle-aged women workers. is 390,000 - 4.5% of the female population who wish to work. 80,000 of these women are family heads. Those attending vocational training courses, employed in public works, or who have abandoned hope to find new work are excluded from this figure.

Under these circumstances, 8 Action Centers for Unemployed Women collated counseled cases in order to examine the effectiveness of their programs for unemployed female workers.

1. Counseling Case Studies

Difficulty in finding a job due to the upper age limit

- Ms. xx Park, 55 years old, junior high school graduate, with two children, worked in ○○industry for 8 years. She was expelled from the company in 1998 due to downsizing. She then worked in a restaurant for 7 months, as one of its employees was off sick, but had to give back the job when the employee returned to good health. She tried hard to find a new job but could not due to her age. (September, Masan & Changwon WWA)

Differences between recruitment advertising and the real require- ments for the job

- Ms. xx Cho, a resident of a facility for female family heads with no husband, spotted an advertisement in a local newsletter -

a company was recruiting telemarketers. When she phoned them up, she was told that the company was selling electronic goods. She went for an interview and found that the place was a "telephone room".

There were about 20 women answering the phones. She refused to work there, and shop boss humiliated her by saying, "You are not yet hungry enough." (June, Seoul WWA)

Violating the contract without any consultation

- Ms. xx Lee, 38 years old and married, found work in a restaurant. The owner of the restaurant originally asked her to work from 10am to 10:30pm, but would insist that she work until the last customer had left, and she would miss the last bus.

She quit her job after ten days. She was supposed to receive 800,000 won for the time worked but the owner calculated her payment by a daily rate (only 26,000 won per day) and even deducted the expense for two days' recruitment advertising in the local newssheet. (April, Pusan WWA)

Changed standards and principle of the public service work system

- Ms. xx Park, 38 years old and a single mother, separated from her husband two years ago. She had a difficult life due to her financial situation and went to a district office in order to apply for public works. In the district office, she found out that she was still registered as her husband's wife.

Since her ex-husband had a permanent job, she was not allowed to apply for the public service work. Though she is still married, she is in practice a family head. She did not get divorced for fears that her children could suffer as a consequence and so was ineligible for employment in public works.

Normally men are not hindered by their marital status when finding a temporary job in the public service area. This is discrimination against women. (September Inchon WWA)

Special vocational training for female family heads

- Ms. xx Jeong, 49 years old, a senior high school graduate with a daughter of 15, attended a training course for mobile caterers over three months. She has found out that no one from the class was able to find work, and says she had hoped that the vocational training center could arrange jobs.

She is very much eager to work and needs to work for a living, but work was denied her due to her age. She thinks female family heads should be given first priority in school canteens. (Masan & Changwon WWA)

Special loans for unemployed female family heads to set up a business

- Ms. Son, 40 years old and a family head, visited the Labor Welfare Corporation in order to apply for its Support program for female family heads to run a small business. She found a small store and received counseling.

The conditions she had to adhere to in order to receive support were very rigid. The store could not be mortgaged and the applicant had to show that the business would be a good investment.

People around her advised her to give up her bid for support because it was proving so difficult. However, she does not want to give up without a fight. She is still seeking a suitable place.

At the moment she works in a restaurant part-time and attends a vocational training course. (July, Puchon KWWA)

2. Resolution on the effectiveness of the programs for the unemployed

1) Countermeasures to the employment difficulties encountered by middle-aged women should be established. The public business sector should give priority to unemployed middle-aged women workers when hiring and the government should set up links between corporations and unemployed middle-aged female workers.

These countermeasures should allow for greater participation by middle-aged women in public service labor. We also urge the government to support female family heads in new business initiatives.

2) In order to mobilize more unemployed women, related administrative organs should strengthen their management and supervision of corporations that refuse women or the middle-aged or delay payment.

Local newsletters relied upon by many women job-seekers, are notorious for giving false information. There should be a route for appeal on damage caused by falseinformation and local governments should penalize those who knowingly publicize incorrect recruitment information.

3) Programs for unemployed female family heads should be supplemented to be more effective. Those who have completed vocational training courses should be guaranteed a new job. There should be an administration in charge of joint businesses established by groups of female family heads.

4) In order to guarantee basic living standards for the low-income class, the government should emphasize transparency and accountability in measuring minimum living costs. Low-income unemployed women should receive fair benefits.

For that to happen, government servants working in relevant areas must be properly selected. In general administrative offices, more social workers should be recruited and all government staff working in relation to the protection of basic living standards should be given sufficient training and orientation.  

Feature 3. Sketch from Forum

For those who never give up

Eun Mee Lee Park
( a Counselor at the Action Center for Unemployed Women, KWWA)

Preparing projects always makes me nervous. If the project will be elucidated in public, the tension is greater. Finally the day has come. Middle-aged unemployed women have come to a forum in order to expose their problems to society. For today, they are the heroines.

Is there any group which is weaker or more exhausted than these unemployed women in their middle age? I have been dealing with them for quite some time but I still feel anger whenever I meet these women.

What led them to such a difficult situation in this society? The most important mission in the preparation of the forum was how to organize these women. Most of them cannot make plans for tomorrow because they are given work a day at a time.

Most of them are mothers who have to be at home in the evening to look after their children. It will be hard for them to stay until the end of the forum.

The fact that they are responsible for housework and childcare makes their situation even harder. And yet society feels no concern or understanding towards their multiple burdens. This makes their lives a daily battle.

We planned to have lunch together and then to move to the forum hall. These women were excited at the fact that they were to speak in Congress Hall, which until now was for them a place where only the famous had a voice.

Just the chance of taking a day out from the daily toil was marvellous for them. But at the gate, some were disheartened when questioned by policemen as to their purpose at Congress Hall. These arrogant men's salaries are paid by our taxes - and yet they seemed not to see us.

Arriving at the forum, we met other unemployed women of middle age. We felt unified. The most important fruit of the forum was the chance to build up the unity and solidarity between these women, until now isolated and burdened with problems.

We exposed the difficulties of our situation and criticized unrealistic government policy. We wished that we had been able to shout out!

We had dinner together and shared more stories that we could not tell in the forum. The most difficult problem was regarding childcare. We really do not want to bequeath our harsh lives to our children.

It was a great experience for us. The mothers' active attitude towards their harsh lives was so impressive. I can confirm that hope remains, as long as we are confident and never give up.

Voices from the Workplace 1.

Violence in the workplace: Kyoung Hyon Kim,

a woman worker in Daejin Machine Co

Seong Hae Cho(President of Inchon WWA)

≪-Ms. Kyoung Hyon Kim in her wheel chair (photo by Women's Newspaper)

At the age of 27, at her working peak, a woman worker lost the sensation in the lower half of her body and was hospitalized for a few months. Recently it has been confirmed that she sustained mental shock which resulted in a conversion handicap. She is also receiving psychological therapy.

This disaster, which came to seem as grave as a death sentence, happened in the Daejin Machine Co., owned by Tae Gu Kang, in the Pupyong Industrial Complex in Inchon on September 18. She was badly beaten by a male manager in the company.

It happened all of a sudden. Manager Jong Tae Yoo, working in the accounts department, was scolded by his boss for the poor production quality. Upset, he went to the production department, and in harsh words severely berated the workers.

Kyoung Hyon Kim demanded that "discover the source of the bad quality be identified and that the proper steps be taken to complain". It was a reasonable request. Without warning, Yoo threw boxes at her and then attempted to beat her up.

The other 15 workers there stopped him. Kim was so disconcerted at the attack that she took a rest in a changing room. She was resting when he came into the room. He beat her around her neck and kicked her, then hit her chest and back.

A few colleagues heard her cry and they came to stop him. She lost awareness for a while and could not remember exactly what had happened. Only by the state of her clothes could she confirm that she had been beaten by him.

Despite feeling unwell she came to work the next day and the day after. But by September 20th, she was in agony and could no longer endure the pain. Her colleagues helped her to a hospital, where she received first aid and then some physiotherapy. A while later she experienced paralysis in the lower half of her body.

Furthermore, she displayed symptoms of mental disturbance. She is now in the process of psychological therapy and her doctor is unable to say when the paralysis will disappear. The company recognized its responsibility for the violent abuse she had suffered - at the beginning.

However, the company changed its stance when her condition worsened. The company is now taking responsibility for medical expenses for one month only. With regard to its violation of the Labor Standard Law, the company is prepared to accept a legal penalty alone.

At the moment, the company refuses to communicate with her family. 15 organizations, including Inchon WWA, Inchon Equal Rights Counseling, Inchon Labor Committee, Catholic Students United, and Korea Confederation of Trade Union Inchon, are taking the company to court at the Labor Office for its neglect of the Labor Standard Law.

On October 7, the 'Countermeasure Committee of Inchon for the Human Rights of Women Workers and to Assist Kyoung Hyon Kim' was established and the committee appealed to the Pupyong Police Station and Labor Office, demanding that her case be investigated.

The committee also organized demonstration twice a week in front of the company at the end of shifts and are now holding protests before shifts begin.

However, the owner of the company and the manager Jong Tae Yoo don't want to take responsibility for the case - a source of great pain for Kyoung Hyon Kim and her family. Therefore the committee is planning to take further measures.

The committee is planning to organize a protest demonstration in front of the company branch offices in Seoul and to send appeal letters to all enterprises that purchase machines from the company.

We are now facing the 21st century, but the human rights violations continue and workers continue to be treated as inanimate cogs in a machine. The case described above illustrates the hopelessness of the situation, when women workers are exposed to physical violence without any access to protection.

We can also confirm the extreme situation confronting women workers in the attitudes of civil servants in labor offices and police stations. The Labor Office and police station in this particular instance failed to arrest the manager on the grounds that the medical report constituted insufficient evidence.

We believe that the case of Kyong Hyon Kim is not a problem for herself alone but illustrative of a larger social problem affecting all workers in small factories in this post-economic crisis period. Women workers vulnerable to physical attack from their managers have been divested of their basic human rights.

The KWWAU Equal Rights Counseling is committed to the Countermeasure Committee as a means to fight for the recognition of the human rights of women workers and to tackle the particular injustices suffered by Kyoung Hyon Kim.  

Voices from the Workplace 2.

Eight-year struggle against promotional
discrimination

Joeng Mee Hwang(Sec. Gen. of Seoul Energy Trade Union)

"Women are supposed to be obedient and calm or they will ruin the reputations of their parents!"

Counseling is committed to the Countermeasure Committee as a means to fight for the recognition of the human rights of women workers and to tackle the particular injustices suffered by Kyoung Hyon Kim.

"You don't live with senior family members, do you? How come you drink coffee from a paper cup? You do it because you don't want to wash cups. What do you think about your workplace? Do you think that you are at home now?" I refused to serve coffee because I was not at home but at work. As a result, my personal work score was the worst of all female workers.

No promotion for 15 years for female employees

In March, 1992, the Energy Industrial Complex Trade Union appealed to Seoul Local Labor Hall for the promotion of female employees, who had been overlooked for promotion for 15 years. At that time, the 32 female employees had never had a single promotion between them.

The Energy Industrial Complex rejected the accusation of sexual discrimination despite the fact that male workers were categorized as 7th A workers and female workers were categorized as 7th B. The trade union argued that thedifferent categories for male and female workers in the same department was indeed sex discrimination.

The Labor Ministry judged that merely allocating female employees as 7th B workers did not constitute a violation of the law but that excluding female employees from promotion was indeed against the Equal Employment Law. This judgement by the Ministry gave female employees the expectation of future promotion.

However the company did not end its practice of promotional discrimination. A year after the judgement, only one female employee had been promoted. However, the symbolic importance of this first female promotion was a seen as a cause for celebration at the trade union.

Company used subtle trick to avoid promotion of female staff

The happy time was very short for the female employees because the company tried to avoid promoting women using company regulations. In the company, workers in the technical service received higher wages and the company tried to move female employees to the technical service line.

However, most of the female employees wanted to remain as regular office workers rather than relocating to the technical department. They wanted to receive the same treatment as the male employees. None of them moved to the technical service line. Then, the company proposed promotion for the 7th group employees.

"Wow, the female employees in our company are so powerful that the company has proposed promotion!"

But, no way! The proposed promotions were in fact a further obstacle to real promotion. According to the proposal, all those who wished to be promoted had to take a "promotion test" to enter the 6th group. On April, 1995, the company approved the proposal without the agreement of the Trade Union.

The male workers in the Energy Industrial Complex must work two years before being promoted from 7th A to 6th B group. The company regulation allowed for male employees to be promoted to the 6th group after a statutory period of working.

The female employees demanded the same promotion opportunities as the male employees. However, the company suddenly forced all employees in the 7th group to take an exam for promotion to 6th A, not B.

We had to take an exam in order to be promoted to the 6th. Furthermore, the company violated its own regulation that male employees in the 6th B should be promoted to 6th A without any exam or test.

I was sure that the sudden implementation of the promotion exam was a violation of the Equal Employment Law, and we therefore appealed to the local Seoul Labor Hall and protested the company's decision.

However, we lost. The Labor Hall said, "The case cannot be considered a violation of the law as promotions cannot be given merely on account of a certain length of time worked." So, men were promoted without a test but women were forced to take an exam. This is not a violation of the law?

In addition to our problems the trade union began to tire of the case. I went to see the chairman of the union and asked for its consistent support. But the chairman regarded the case as a problem for only a few women workers and not as a problem for women workers across the board. I gave up my faith in the union.

So, I and Womenlink referred the board director of the company and the chief manager of the personal department to the Prosecution Office for the violation of the Equal Employment Law, the Labor Standard Law, and the Labor and Management Negotiation Law.

When I was called to testify for the investigation, I was so tense that I needed to go to the toilet. In the toilet I saw a ashtray.

I thought, "Oh, this is a good place. There are lots of women smokers and they even provide a ashtray for them..." Oh, God. I saw a few urinals.

It was the men's room. I was too tense to notice if it was the women's room or not. The Prosecution Office judged that our case was not illegal. I lost again.

Eight years, Endless fight

I, defeated by the company, was ordered to move to another branch office. There I was subject to more discrimination. In the branch office, I had to deal with customer complains and had to assist senior officers. I was made to work like a servant.

When I had a meeting with the CEO, I declared that I would not serve coffee or water any more. The officers were enraged and, owing to my refusal to serve coffee and water, my work score was the lowest among all the female employees.

Eight months after I was removed to the Inchon branch office. I can confirm that the chief manager of the personnel department lied. He said that female employees lacked the capacity to manage the work in the 6th group and that was why female workers could not be promoted. If anyone wanted a promotion, he said, she should take the promotion exam.

However, it was not true. When I left the branch office for Inchon, a manager took over my work and I took over the work of another manager when I moved to the Inchon branch office. On the day I moved to Inchon, I was very down. "Why must women suffer endless discrimination?"

Must I be a bad woman in order to live in this society? Due to the restructuring of the company, the complex has been divided into two private companies.

I have spent eight years fighting but the fight is not over. I will continue to fight, and I am preparing myself to do so. Because I can get back my rights and the rights of women workers only through struggle.

International Solidarity

Report on the exchange program with Thailand and Indonesia

Jin Young Park (Research Officer, KWWAU)

There was an exchange program which gave us a great opportunity to share with our friends from other countries. It has been a fruitful, wonderful, and helpful experiences for our fellow women workers in Korea.

Since there is almost no chance for women workers to travel other countries, it was a good opportunity for them to meet foreign friends who could share similar problems and different experiences.

We were very happy to have our friends from Indonesia and Thailand. We had Ayuni, Rosmawaty Situmotang, Tati, Choirul Mahpuduah, and Tonilah from Indonesia and Prangtip and Yaowapa from Thailand for the program.

Even though we are different in many ways, we could confirm that we all are journeying on the same path towards the same goal. Their visit was another way to encourage our Korean women workers to feel international unity. Everyday the exchange program was full of sharing, unity, solidarity, and grateful joys.

Here we summarize what we did during the program day by day.

September 6, 1999

Though our friends went to bed very late, we all were in time to meet in the lobby of the hotel, where they were staying. We started by driving to Otnuri in Inchon.

The Otnuri is a production community which was formed by labor activists in Inchon. In the middle of the 80s, the sewing industry, which showed signs of prosperity before, was declining and most of the factories diminished their size.

The labor activists were trying to organize local unions at that time. However, they were already on the black list so that it was hard for them to make approaches to the workers and to get a job. The married women were having harder time to get a job due to their marital status.

<-- otron workers protesting against unjust dismissal in their camp> Under this background, the Otnuri was formed in order to be self-reliant and to take part in labor implementation. Their purpose was to organize workers gradually. Around ten thirty in the morning, we arrived at the Otnuri factory.

Workers were busy doing their work. Some were cutting cloth, some were working with sewing machines, some were ironing......

Our delegates observed carefully with much interest. We had a talk with the Chairwoman Mi Sook Lee from eleven to one o'clock. The delegates asked about the background of the Otnuri, the operation system of it, the working condition of the workplace, etc..

They were particularly interested in the criteria of membership, the size of income, and the way to share the profits. After lunch, we had exposure to the industrial complex in Namdong of Inchon, then moved to another industrial complex in Guro of Seoul.

We had the Chairwoman Seok Hee Jang of Seoul Women Workers Association, who worked in the Guro industrial complex for a long time, as a guide. Guro industrial complex has an important historical background.

In the 60s and 70s, people were totally repressed. At the end of the 80s, the people rose up against the dictatorship. At the peak of the peoples' protest, there was a struggle of the workers, who were exploited under the theory of economic development.

One of the starting places of the struggle was the solidarity struggle of Guro. It was the historical event which succeeded to make up widely united workers' struggle participated in by various workplace units.

Due to the change of the industrial structure in Korea, the manufacturing factories have been diminished in this area, and a number of distribution industries and big stores have occupied the area.

Therefore the number of manufacturing workers have been largely decreased. The main street of Guro, which was the main street of the protest demonstration, is now full of pops, restaurants, and stores.

In spite of the changes, the workers are continuing their struggle. We met the women workers, who were on protest demonstration in front of the local Labor hall. The Otron is a Hanhwa affiliated firm and the company dismissed them in an unjust manner. The workers brought the case to the local labor office.

The officers of the office were invited by the employer of the company and the employer entertained them. The workers set some tents in front of the hall and the Otron factory for a long term protest demonstration.

After the working time, the workers who took disciplinary action joined with the protesting workers. We also joined the protest demonstration and Nilh, the chairperson of Regional Trade Union from Indonesia, made a statement.

In her statement, she expressed, "The situation of the workers in every country is quite similar, and we can get through the difficulties by struggle. In this regard, international solidarity is necessary." Afterwards, we visited to the Seoul Women Workers' Association and toured the Children Care Center and After School Class that were run by SWWA.

September 7, 1999

On the second day of the exchange program, we flew to Pusan.The chairwoman of Masan & Changwon Women Workers Association welcomed us at the airport. We drove to Masan and had a lunch there.

After lunch, we spent one and half hours in their office to hear about the operation of the children care center. Afterwards we visited to Sanken trade union and heard the situation of the union. The Sanken is a joint company of Korea and Japan. The company produce industrial springs and the majority of the workers are women.

<-- visit to child care center run by masan> The trade union was set up in 1986 and it was affiliated to the Metal Trade Union under the Korea Confederation of Trade Union. The number of the members has been gradually decreasing. It is because the company has set up the workplace in other countries in South-East Asia where the cost of labor is relatively cheaper than Korea. And the newly employed workers are reluctant to join the union.

However, the commitment of the union members is very strong and even non-union members still have much interest in the union.

September 8, 1999

We started with the brief explanation by the vice director of "The house of Working Women" on the works of the House.

The House of Working Women was established in 1997 supported by the Ministry of Labor. The House has been conducting vocational training courses, information service for recruiting, occupational counseling, etc.

The House is running a children care center. As a result, the women workers, who have gone through the total helpers' training course, have formed a total helpers' association and actively implemented their works.

After the brief explanation, we visited different classes; the class for needlework, the class for hair dressing, and the class for computer. Myoung Hee Choi, who has committed herself to the labor movement for a long time in Pusan and now working as a counselor in the House, gave us an input on how has the situation of the women workers in Pusan and South Kyounsang areas changed in accordance with the change of the industrial structure.

The shoe industry, which was the leading industry in Pusan, was declining, and many workplaces have bankrupted, closed, or moved to other countries in South East Asia At the moment, most of the workplace for the shoe industry in these areas is small scale with less than five workers, and the workers' condition is getting worse.

The majority of the workers engaged in the shoe industry were women. After many of them lost their jobs, they were brought under the non economic population rather than being brought under the unemployed population.

Therefore society was not concerned with their unemployment problem. After hearing their story, our interest was then, "where are they and what are they doing?" Ms. Choi explained that most of them are working in the smaller subcontract factories or working in the service industry.

In the case of working in the service industry, their skills, that were developed for twenty years, are all useless now. Then, we toured the area, where there were shoe factories which are changed to lots of small subcontract factories now.

There were a huge Nike factory with over 20,000 workers and some other big shoe factories in that area. However, we could not find any memory of the area because the place was occupied by high apartments complex.

Next to the apartment zone, there are a number of small subcontract factories. We flew back to Seoul in order to meet the president of the Korean Women's Trade Union, Ms. Sang Lim Choi. The president Sang Lim Choi started her sharing by talking about the problem of hidden unemployed women including the disappointed unemployed women, the problem of irregular workers, who are recently increasing largely, and the present situation of the women workers in Korea.

The decreasing rate of the women union members is a result of the present situation, and at the same time, it causes the worsened situation of women workers. The existing trade union is more regular workers and men workers-oriented. It is hard for them to change their strategy which has alienated women workers.

Under this situation, the Korean Women's Trade Union has been established in order to seek for a new strategy to organize women workers.

September 9 -10, 1999

There was a workshop on the fourth and fifth days.

In the first workshop, Ms. Hae Soon Lee from the women's department of KCTU spoke on the influences of the economic crisis to the workers and the reaction of the trade union. The economic crisis made different influences in accordance with the scale of the workplace. The small workplace were mostly bankrupted or closed.

The big scale workplaces including financial companies had business restructure. Both have resulted in massive unemployment of women workers, more poverty, and transferring to irregular work. The economic crisis brought not only women's unemployment but the serious problem of unemployment in a society as a whole.

The KCTU organized two strikes against the economic restructure and has continued to demand the shortening the working time and the renovation of the big enterprises. On the second workshop, Ms. Sook Ja Kim, a child care activist, talked about the activation of the child care movement and how to establish and operate the child care center in Korea through the history of the child care movement.

It was the beginning of the 80s when the people began to talk about the child care facilities. It was the time when a number of the married women entered in to the labor market. The demands for the child care facilities widely increased.

Many women's organizations and religious organizations began to set up the facilities. Afterwards, the child care activists formed groups to take a role as a pressure group to government's policies. On the third workshop, we shared on the situation of the women workers in Korea and in Thailand and Indonesia.

On the fourth workshop, we shared on the influences of free trade to women workers. On the fifth workshop, Ms. Hae Ran Lee, the representative of Orum, a cultural group, talked about how to make use of culture in education for the women workers based on her experiences.

The women workers, who actually led the economic growth in the 60s and the 70s, have been suffering from low wage and long working hours. We have struggled for the improvement of the situation.

In these periods, the main role of the cultural movement was to expose the hidden facts. Through music, arts, drawings, dramas, etc., we tried to explore the angers and agonies of the women workers.

Now, we are living in a better political, social, and economic situation. However, the women workers are still suffering from low wage, long working hours, and various sexual discriminations. Under these circumstances, the present cultural movement is seeking for a new method to change the consciousness of the women workers in their daily living.

On the sixth workshop, we shared and talked about the methods to consolidate our solidarity, follow-up programs after the exchange program, and evaluation. After dinner, we went to Myongdong Cathedral, which is a symbolical place for the democratization movement in Korea. When we visited the Cathedral, catholic priests and faithful were having a hunger demonstration for the abolition of the National Security Law.

Many citizen's organizations also joined in the demonstration.

September 11, 1999

On the sixth day, we had a downtown tour in the morning. We went to a palace and some tourist streets. We had a very joyful and comfortable time.

In the afternoon, we attended the opening ceremony of Inchon KWTU. Afterwards, we went to the cafe, run by KWWAU. The cafe has been run by the KWWAU to create work for the unemployed female family heads and to raise funds for the KWWAU. In the evaluation, the participants gave very positive feedback on the whole program.

Particularly, the child care movement and cultural movement were evaluated so that our delegates could try to start in their countries. The delegates from Indonesia showed a deep concern towards the Korean Women's Trade Union and child care facilities.

They were inspired to plan for the establishment of the child care center in their country after coming back. Yaowapa from Thailand was very impressed by the demonstration in Guro area where the protesting workers set up a tent.

The delegates from Thailand had a deep impression with the educational programs and they were inspired to plan for the workers' cultural group back in their country. This exchange program was not simply for sharing of three countries' experiences but also for actualizing the experiences from other countries to their unique situation.

Particularly through deep and concrete study on the whole situation of one country, the workers from three different countries examined and studied on the more effective and concrete methodologies of proper activities.

-> Waving hands consolidating the international solidality of women workers (September 12,1999)
We have realized that we all are lacking in understanding of the IMF and Free Trade. The participants wanted the KWWAU to organize this type of workshop every two years in order to keep up.

Besides, it was pointed out that whole schedule was too tight due to too many programs and the language barrier. Since we had to spend double time for translation, we had to spend double time for every schedule.

Equal Rights Counselling

Analysis on Equal Rights Counselling Center

- Analysis on the figures drawn by the Equal Rights Counselling in 1999 -

In Soon Wang (Sec. Gen., KWWAU)

The total number counselled excluding cases re-counseled was 1,273. Among them, after 324 cases that were classified into others were excluded, out of the remaining 949 cases, 740 cases were about employ- ment insecurity such as with- held back wages, lay-offs, unfair labor practices, and unfair dismissals, which accounted for 78%.

This represents serious levels of employ- ment insecurity for women workers in reality. Out of the 949 cases, 85 cases were divided into sexual harassment in the workplace (9.0%), 63 cases discriminations in the workplace such as discriminative wage systems and discrimination in promotion (6.6%), 41 cases maternity protections (4.3%) and 20 cases occupational diseases (1.2%).

In details, according to counselling related to employment insecurity which was the great majority, withheld back wages accounted for 504 cases (53.0%), layoffs and discriminative dismissals and unfair dismissals, and discriminative dismissals for 180 cases (19.0%), unfair labor practices 56 cases (6.0%).

< Cases counselled in 1998 and 1999 >

(*Cases re-counselled were excluded.)

The cases classified into others were about verbal violence and violent abuse in the workplace, four(4) Korean social security insurances, and difficulties related to their work and lives (education of their children, divorces and so on).

Compared to ones in 1998, in 1999 outstanding were cases counselled relating to verbal violence and violent abuse in the workplace, and unemployment insurance. Additionally, there was the bigger number of counselling done reqarding on sexual harassment.

The main causes of withheld back wages were bankruptcies, shut-downs, closure of factories besides withheld back wages under the pretext of financial difficulties in the Korean economic crisis.

If cases of dismissals are considered, there were higher number of discriminative unfair ones, illegal and unfair ones that do not follow regulations concering on dismissals , and no discussion dismissals occurring at very small companies and unreasonable ones.

In particular, there were outstandingly higher pressures on retirement and dismissals related to pregnancy and child-delivering, pressures on forced job transfers into irregular workers, relative to ones in previous years.

On the other hand, there was an increase in cases related to maternity protection. This shows unfair labor practices such as forced retirement on pregnancy and child-delivering have been wide-spread.

Especially, there is an increasing trends towards the number of irregular women workers and they are not properly protected by the Labor Standard Law. This shows women workers' worsening situation in which maternity protection has been retroqrade under the excuse of the Korean economic crisis.

Cases sexual harassment in the workplace totaled 85. By case, 43 cases were involved in physical sexual harassment, 31 verbal harassment, 5 visual sexual harassment, and 6 others. According to perpetrators, 24 cases of sexual harassment were done by company owners, 50 by superiors, 6 by co-workers, 1 by a superior and 3 cases by others (one was excluded because there was no proper answer).

Distribution according to counselees

If Distribution according to counselees in 19999 is considered, women workers working in a company with less than 10 employees were great majority of the counselees. In addition, there was an increasing number of irregular workers, which shows that there has been a far higher number of them.

A higher number of counselling with married women

< Ratio between married women and unmarried women workers >

Excluding 101 cases with no answers, unmarried women accounted for 403 cases (34.4%), married women for 769 (65.6%). The rate of counselling with married women was far higher. This shows the reality that married women workers work in very

small-size companies and that their work hours have been increasing. Additionally, this represents a variety of unfair practices and difficulties faced by married women workers at home and in the workplace.

a far higher percent of women working in companies where workers are unorganized

Excluding cases with no answers, amongst the remaining 947, 82 cases (8.7%) occurred in companies where a trade union is organized and 865 (91.3%) were cases counseled with women workers who worked in companies where no trade union is set up.

In 1998, was far higher the rate of unorganized women workers. This shows the recent reality that trade union participation rate of women workers is less than 10%.

On the other hand, amongst the 82 cases with women workers who worked in the company where a trade union is organized, 51 women workers joined the trade union. This shows that women workers are usually excluded from a trade union, even though it is unorganized in the workplace.

This is because women workers are mostly irregular workers and so, only certain groups of workers are selectively able to join a trade union.

< percentage of counselled by workplace >

Cases counselled by company size

Excluding 433 cases with no answers, out of the remaining 840 cases, counselees working in companies with less than 5 workers accounted for 216 cases (25.7%), between 5 and 9 workers for 25.5%, between 10 and 29 workers for 22.6%, and more than 30 workers for 26.2%.

An increasing number of counselling with irregular workers

Excluding 323 cases with no answers, out of the remaining 950 cases, regular workers accounted for 646 cases (68%), and irregular workers for 304 cases (32%). The number of counselling with irregular workers have been continuously increasing.

Distribution by industry

According to the industries involved, industry where the great majority of counselees were engaged was the manufacturing industry, and it was followed by social and personal service industry, wholesale and retail, restaurant and accommodation.

Distribution by occupation

According to the occupations involved, the largest number of occupation where the great majority of counselees were engaged was clerical, and it was followed by production and service related occupations.

Korean Women Workers Associations United

Seoul, Inchon, Puchon, Ansan, Kwangju, Mansan & Changwon, North Cholla, Pusan

Opening of "Cake Cafe Youth", a model shop for the unemployed women(Octboer 4)

The Action Center for the Unemployed Women Workers has opened a cafe owing to the support of "Friends of Love". The cafe, "Youth", is a model shop for women family heads who want to run a shop.

Even though they worry about much possibility of failure, they prefer to run a small shop since they are not welcomed by employers. In order to help them to run a successful business, the Action Center for the Unemployed Women Workers of KWWAU has opened the cafe which will be a venue for the unemployed women to practice and to learn how to run a business.

The model shop will accumulate various experiences of running business and to support and encourage many women family heads to make a successful business.

President's award on the Memorial Day of Gender Equal Employment of 1999(Oct. 8)

There was a memorial ceremony for the Day of Gender Equal Employment. Owing to the counseling activities and the other various activities of the Action Center for the Unemployed

Women Workers that have contributed a lot for the sake of women's reputation, KWWAU received the President Award together with the Korean Women United.

Forum on countermeasures for the middle aged unemployed women workers

The Action Center for the Unemployed Women Workers of KWWAU took the countermeasure for the middle age unemployed women as a serious and urgent task, and conducted research on the nature of recruits and job seekers.

From January to September of 1999, the research was conducted. 1,441 women job seekers, who contacted the counseling center in Seoul, Puchon, Ansan, Inchon, North Cholla, Kwangju, Masan & Changwon, and 500 places where there were workers looking for jobs. The result of the research was shared through a forum.

In the forum, we invited some of the middle age unemployed women in order to give them a chance to speak up for themselves. In the forum we urged the government to provide more effective plans for these women and to conduct an evaluation on the unemployment programs of the government.

International symposium on the cultural and economic effects of internationalization

There was a symposium with the theme of "Cultural and Economic effects of the internationalization" in Bangkok from the 12th to the 15th of November. Activists and scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Korea took part in the symposium.

They had serious discussion and sharing on their own situation. Jin Young Park, a Senior Researcher represented Korea.

KWWAU Rally for 2000

-Establishment of the "Headquarters of the Movement to Restore the Rights of Irregular Women Workers(HMRRWW)

KWWAU held the KWWAU rally on March 5 this year together with the Korean Women Workers' Trade Union.

The rally was held celebrating the March 8th International Women's Day under the theme of expanding organized women workers and restoring the rights of the irregular women workers.

In the rally, "Headquarters of the Movement to Restore the Rights of Irregular Women Workers" was established in order to confront more serious problems of the irregular women workers and to implement more activities.

There were various performances including songs made by women workers, a play, and semi-opera performed by "Oruem", a Women's Cultural group. The rally ended with a dynamic "Daedong Madang", which is a traditional performance inviting all the participants to the stage.

There will be regional rallies in 7 areas proclaiming the establishment of KMRRWW.

Producing a film with the theme of "The History of Korean Women Worker Militants in the 20 Century"

So far there has not been a film which tells a full history of women worker activists. KWWAU produced the 15 minute film which shows the history of women workers in this country as a preparation for the rally.

The film includes the story of the late Joo Ryong Kang in the Japanese colonial period, the struggle for the democratization of the trade union in the 70s and 80s, and the various methods and issues of the 90s.

Opening of a counseling site for women workers on the internet

A counseling site wholly for the women workers has been opened.

The domain name is equaline which was opened on February 16. The site has a counseling center, news, resource center, and free talk. The counselors and labor officers in every WWA will counsel with the visitors. It is linked with other useful sites for the women workers.

The address of the site is http://www.equaline.or.kr

Participate in the campaign to amend the election law by Inchon Citizen's United for fair elections

Inchon WWA members took part in the campaign on February 19 and March 1. They signed an appeal for a clear and fair election

Expanding the list of unemployed women family heads who are under livelihood protection

Inchon WWA conducted research on those women family heads who were not included in the list for livelihood protection in collaboration with the district office.

In order to include the excluded unemployed women family heads, they have been working with the Inchon Headquarters for unemployment and 8 more small groups.

The fourth vocational training for unemployed women family heads sponsored by the Labor Ministry

Ansan WWA is conducting the 4th vocational training for unemployed women family heads during February 28 to April 27. The training has two courses for and tele-marketing and general helpers.

The general helpers course is to help the trainees to learn about nursing for women after delivering babies, house work, baby sitting, and assisting patients in order to have broad chances to get a job.

Restoring the rights of the irregular women workers

Nowadays a nu mber of women workers are transferring to irregular status and they are suffering from the employment condition. Masan & Changwon WWA has worked on the expansion of the Labor Standard Law over all workplaces in order to protect irregular workers, too. They are planning to strengthen the protection movement for irregular women workers

Research on indirect discrimination in the process of recruiting

The research on the working condition and indirect discrimination in the process of recruiting in March and April. In the process of recruiting, there are limits of age which decrease chances for the women workers. Masan & Changwon WWA is planning to work for a legal protest.

Anniversary ceremony for Women Labor Welfare Center

The Puchon Women Labor Welfare Center was established last April. The center was set up in order to improve welfare of women workers who are working in small and poor workplaces and were not included in the women welfare administration.

The center has conducted various works; social education programs, vocational training, job arrangement, and various research and forums. Monthly meeting of unemployed women family heads Monthly meeting for unemployed women family heads has been conducted in order to share information and have necessary education together.

They are planning to study the culture of youth in March and to work on role play. There are plans to provide a picnic inviting their children on April 5, the Day of Planting. Through the monthly meeting, unemployed women family heads can be more stabilized and have more systematic supports.

Hot line for women family heads and publishing a newsletter

Pusan WWA has opened a hot line for women family heads for counseling. The opening of the hot line was publicized through mass media and a good number of clients have called. They are planning to make more publicity and to provide fuller information.(Tel.:051-557-4215)

Roundtable discussion with the Mayor of Iksan(April 29)

The unemployed women family heads are having hard time to find more stable jobs that can also guarantee child care. North Cholla WWA will hold a roundtable meeting with the Mayor of Iksan.

North Cholla WWA will propose the operation of a study room for the children of unemployed women family heads in the area where the workplaces are concentrated and will propose various

methods to create jobs for unemployed women family heads.