Firefighters hold protest for better working conditions

Firefighters chant slogans during a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul, Monday. The banners read, "We don't want to die anymore!" and "We are not fire-extinguishing machines!" / Courtesy of the Confederation of Korean Government Employees' Unions

By Lee Hae-rin

"We don't want to die anymore! We are not fire-extinguishing machines!"

Firefighters held protests in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Monday, calling for the government to improve their working conditions. The collective action came due to several firefighters having lost their lives in a series of recent blazes in warehouses in Pyeongtaek and Icheon.

They urged the government to investigate the recent incidents, hold the people in charge of the Pyeongtaek accident accountable and take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Jeong Eun-ae, the chairperson of Korea's firefighters' union, pointed out that the authorities at the National Fire Agency and related government agencies have not taken preventive measures, which is the prime cause of the recurring deaths of firefighters, pressuring the authorities to step up safety measures.

Jeong mentioned the fire at the Coupang warehouse in Icheon in June of last year, as well as the massive blaze at a high-rise apartment in Ulsan and the latest incident in the Pyeongtaek warehouse, saying that they altogether cost the lives of five officers.

Jeong Eun-ae, the leader of Korea's firefighters' union, reads a statement calling for government action to improve their working conditions during a protest in front of Cheong Wa Dae, Seoul Monday. / Courtesy of Confederation of Korean Government Employees' Unions

The union also highlighted the need for a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire in Pyeongtaek and structural reforms that are needed to prevent future disasters.

"The investigation on the Pyeongtaek accident must be carried out thoroughly and hold those who are responsible accountable," the statement said. "The recruitment of firefighting officers in charge of administrative work and fieldwork must also be separated, to enhance personnel expertise."

The union called for reforms in the firefighters' remuneration system regarding salaries and pensions, as well as legislation to recognize and compensate work-related diseases, including cancer, skeletal and cerebrovascular diseases.

More than 100 firefighting officers have lost their lives on duty or committed suicide due to trauma over the past ten years. The number of firefighters who were injured while at work amounts to 1,004, according to the union.

In subzero temperatures, over 150 union members staged a rally for an hour and marched to the government complex in central Seoul. Its statement requesting an improvement in labor conditions, along with a letter to the President, were handed over to a Cheong Wa Dae official.

Meanwhile, police said they are investigating the plastering companies that worked on the first floor of the Pyeongtaek warehouse, following searches at the offices of the original contractor and client of the building, Monday. The exact cause of the blaze is not yet known.

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