Subcontractors' deaths not counted in gov't evaluation

Placards are hung in front of the Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) headquarters in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, Sunday, to urge the state-run company stop outsourcing dangerous jobs to small companies, after a young subcontracted worker, Kim Yong-gyun, was killed after being trapped between conveyer belts, last Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Jung Hae-myoung

Korean Western Power (KOWEPO), which runs a plant in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, where a subcontracted worker was killed recently, had been certified as a "workplace without accidents" for the last three years despite dozens of deaths. This was because the deceased workers belonged to subcontractors, not the state-run company itself, government records showed, Monday.

These were disclosed after Kim Yong-gyun, a 24-year-old subcontractor at the KOWEPO power plant in Taean, died after being trapped between a conveyor belts, Dec. 11.

The government awarded the company certificates recognizing it as a "zero accident workplace" for the last three years. The certificates are given when there are no major accidents or deaths. The government had also exempted KOWEPO from paying the premium for industrial accident insurance worth 220 million won ($1.9 million) for five years until 2017, according to the report provided by Rep. Woo Won-shik of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

This was possible because the certification only dealt with workers hired directly by the company, not subcontractors.

A KOWEPO report on injuries at power plants from 2008 to 2017, submitted to Rep. Park Jeung of the DPK, stated there were 41 accidents involving subcontracted workers, six of which resulted in death.

However, the report excluded four additional subcontractor deaths.

There were three accidents involving directly hired workers, but they sustained minor injuries.

Critics have called such cases the "outsourcing of hazard," noting most of the dangerous work is done by subcontracted workers.

KOWEPO's plant passed a safety inspection conducted two months ago by the Korea Safety Technology Association, which checked the facility including the conveyer belts involved in the deadly accident, indicating the inspection was carried out superficially. Kim's colleagues also claim they did not receive proper safety education, adding they filed 28 complaints asking for improvements in the hazardous working environment but they were all rejected as they could cause "facility damage."

"The government said it will carry out a special examination with an inspection team to figure out the cause of the accident, but it will have to probe into the tyranny of KOWEPO which dumped all the dangerous work on the subcontractors and concealed the number of accidents," an official of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) said.

President Moon Jae-in expressed regret over the accident. "'Outsourcing danger' continuously takes place with the excuse of cost saving," he said during a meeting with his secretaries, Monday. "We are supposed to be focused on safety over economic achievements in evaluating public organizations and firms, and prepared necessary measures. We need to check why such measures were not kept and take this as a chance for improvement."

Employment and Labor Minister Lee Jae-kap and Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Sung Yun-mo also said the government will tighten safety regulations, and, in the long run, improve the current subcontractor-based operations.

KOWEPO authorities made an official apology, late Sunday, saying they will cooperate fully with the related authorities to figure out the truth and take full responsibility.

However, a coalition of civic groups criticized KOWEPO for not recognizing its problems. "It ignored 28 requests by subcontracted workers for a better working environment to save 300 million won," it said in a statement. "Kim's mother asked 'If it were your own son, would you let him work in such a dangerous place?' KOWEPO should answer this question first."

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