Temporary workers to go on strike this week

By Kim Se-jeong

Thousands of temporary workers in schools across the country and workers from the mobile carrier LG Uplus will go on strike this week, demanding salary increases and better working conditions.

According to the Korean School Temporary Workers’ Union (KSTWU), almost 30,000 union members will hold rallies on Nov. 20 in front of regional education offices and then the Ministry of Education in Sejong City on Nov. 21. LG Uplus employees meanwhile will begin their protests starting from today.

Min Tae-ho, secretary general of the KSTWU, said “We are demanding two things: a paid lunch break and a paid vacation.”

The number of temporary workers in schools amounts to almost 300,000 people, accounting for a great number of cleaning and cooking staff, as well as specialized English teachers.

Temporary workers in schools are paid 1.44 million won ($1,273) on average per month and are required to pay for their own lunch. A recent rule change also means these people are not paid when the school is closed.

In contrast, an employee with a regular contract has a 130,000 won allowance each month for lunch and receives a full wage during vacations, the union said.

“A paid lunch break is written into the law, which was revised last year. The ministry even ran a radio advertisement about paid lunch breaks last year. Besides, Education Minister Hwang woo-yeo promised paid lunches during his confirmation hearing. But, nothing has happened during wage negotiations,” said Min.

In fighting for these provisions, temporary workers in public schools must negotiate with their local education office, while private school workers negotiate with the school owners directly.

Education authorities are aware of the dissatisfaction among temporary workers, but say they don’t have the funds to address their needs.

The strike by the LG Uplus temporary workers has been triggered by failed wage negotiations where the employer offered to pay them only 1.2 million per month ($1,091).

LG Uplus has a notorious reputation among workers, according to its union. Recently, one of its employees committed suicide, blaming extreme stress from work in his suicide note.

“Regardless of whether it’s in the private or public sector, working conditions for temporary workers is only getting worse. Unfortunately, they know there is nothing to expect from the authorities or politicians, so they’ve decided to take action by themselves,” said an official at the Korean Contingent Workers’ Center, an NGO advocating for the rights of temporary workers.

As of August this year, 18.7 million people were on payroll in Korea; of that number, 6.07 million are classified as temporarily employed.

The Korean Labor and Society Institute say the situation for temporary workers can improve if authorities toughen inspections on workplaces.

In a study released Monday by Kim Yoo-seon, he wrote that almost 2.27 million workers received less than 5,210 won ($4.74) per hour, the legal minimum wage. That accounts for almost 12.1 percent of the entire workforce. The study added that this happens mostly in companies with less than five employees, most of whom are temporary employees. Small business owners are not subject to inspections by law.