Disregard of safety regulations take lives
Another irregular worker has died from a lapse of safety rules. This time a young male contract employee was found dead Tuesday after getting stuck on a coal conveyor belt at the Taean Thermal Power Plant operated by Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) in South Chungcheong Province.
It is the second shocking death of a worker this week after a taxi driver set himself on fire in protest of the launch of a carpooling service by Kakao. The two deaths led many to ponder on the harsh working conditions of people who struggle daily with low-paying and physically demanding jobs.
The 24-year-old worker named Kim Yong-gyun had been at his job only three months after a long search for work. He was hired by Korea Engineering and Power Services, a subcontractor of the power plant that operates and maintains the facility. He was carrying out an onsiite inspection when the accident occurred.
The main problem is that as he was working alone during a night shift, there was no one to control the conveyor belt when he got caught. To prevent such accidents, onsite inspections are supposed to be carried out in pairs. The power plant's union claimed that to cut down on costs the plant did not follow the rules. The tragedy could have been prevented if the plant paid enough attention to worker safety.
There were more than 300 cases of accidents where workers were either injured or killed at power plants across the country between 2012 and 2016, and about 96 percent of the victims were outsourced workers. At the Taean plant alone, 12 workers have been killed since 2010.
The accident is yet another example of the extreme plight of temporary employees. Many of them are forced to work in life-threatening situations, particularly outsourced workers like Kim. It is reminiscent of another death of a temporary contractor who was struck by a train at Guui Station while repairing a platform door in May 2016.
Things have changed little under President Moon Jae-in, who has vowed an "era of zero irregular workers" since the very beginning of his administration. The first outing he made as President was to visit the Incheon International Airport, which has one of the highest proportions of irregular workers among public corporations. A recent Statistic Korea report showed irregular workers take up 33 percent of Korea's entire workforce as of August this year, slightly higher than the 32.9 percent of the same month last year.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor launched an inspection of five power plants and other facilities run by KOWEPO Tuesday. The government should conduct a thorough inspection of the Taean plant and punish those responsible for neglecting worker safety.
A rally was held Thursday to remember the young worker and spread the message about the difficulties faced by people in similar situations. The government should prepare measures to address the wide range of concerns of the irregular workforce.
Another irregular worker has died from a lapse of safety rules. This time a young male contract employee was found dead Tuesday after getting stuck on a coal conveyor belt at the Taean Thermal Power Plant operated by Korea Western Power (KOWEPO) in South Chungcheong Province.
It is the second shocking death of a worker this week after a taxi driver set himself on fire in protest of the launch of a carpooling service by Kakao. The two deaths led many to ponder on the harsh working conditions of people who struggle daily with low-paying and physically demanding jobs.
The 24-year-old worker named Kim Yong-gyun had been at his job only three months after a long search for work. He was hired by Korea Engineering and Power Services, a subcontractor of the power plant that operates and maintains the facility. He was carrying out an onsiite inspection when the accident occurred.
The main problem is that as he was working alone during a night shift, there was no one to control the conveyor belt when he got caught. To prevent such accidents, onsite inspections are supposed to be carried out in pairs. The power plant's union claimed that to cut down on costs the plant did not follow the rules. The tragedy could have been prevented if the plant paid enough attention to worker safety.
There were more than 300 cases of accidents where workers were either injured or killed at power plants across the country between 2012 and 2016, and about 96 percent of the victims were outsourced workers. At the Taean plant alone, 12 workers have been killed since 2010.
The accident is yet another example of the extreme plight of temporary employees. Many of them are forced to work in life-threatening situations, particularly outsourced workers like Kim. It is reminiscent of another death of a temporary contractor who was struck by a train at Guui Station while repairing a platform door in May 2016.
Things have changed little under President Moon Jae-in, who has vowed an "era of zero irregular workers" since the very beginning of his administration. The first outing he made as President was to visit the Incheon International Airport, which has one of the highest proportions of irregular workers among public corporations. A recent Statistic Korea report showed irregular workers take up 33 percent of Korea's entire workforce as of August this year, slightly higher than the 32.9 percent of the same month last year.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor launched an inspection of five power plants and other facilities run by KOWEPO Tuesday. The government should conduct a thorough inspection of the Taean plant and punish those responsible for neglecting worker safety.
A rally was held Thursday to remember the young worker and spread the message about the difficulties faced by people in similar situations. The government should prepare measures to address the wide range of concerns of the irregular workforce.
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