'8,000 irregular workers may be offered regular status'

By Lee Kyung-min

President Moon Jae-in’s pick for minister of health and welfare, Park Neung-hoo, said Monday he would support giving about 8,000 irregular workers at 22 ministry-supervised organizations regular worker status.

In a letter sent to the National Assembly ahead of his confirmation hearing scheduled for today, Park said the change would improve job security and working conditions.

“Continued use of irregular workers is the root cause of many social ills in Korean society including the low birthrate, job insecurity and discrimination,” he said. “Public institutions should take the initiative to reduce the number of such workers, thereby tackling social polarization and beginning a cycle wherein employment, welfare and growth positively affect each other.”

The plan will be implemented, he added, in the latter half of the year, when the Ministry of Employment and Labor rolls out a comprehensive plan to reduce the number of irregular workers.

If their employment status cannot be changed by then, Park said, he would seek to guarantee irregular workers the same level of social benefits as their regular counterparts.

According to a report submitted for National Assembly inspection last September, most of the 22 organizations in question failed to comply with government rules to limit the number of irregular workers to less than five percent of their total workforce.

The Korean Disabled People’s Institute, for example, hired 43 irregular workers last year. Out of its 120 workers, more than half, or 52.5 percent, are irregular.