The ruling Uri Party says it is definitely going to pass legislation relating to irregular workers during the current ordinary session of the National assembly. It also says that both labor and business need to make the right decision about the issue at hand.
Uri is quite right to want to hurry and pass legislation that would protect irregular workers since their numbers continue to increase and there continue to be incidents where irregular workers take their own lives while calling for the discrimination to be eradicated. The problem, however, is the legislation itself. We have noted the problems several times before and both civic groups and the National Human Rights Commission have called for it to be significantly revised, but the government and ruling party are consistently pretending to not see what is wrong with the bill.
Oddly enough Uri quoted the demands of the labor movement while announcing that it wants to have the bill passed. It said the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU, Han'guk Nochong) specifically asked the party to pass the protections during the current Assembly session. However, KCTU immediately noted that what it had demanded was that the legislation submitted by the government be scrapped and that a new bill be written in its place, one that provides genuine protection.
The keys to resolving the problem remain with the government and ruling party. The Labor Ministry announced that cooperation from the country's conglomerates had led to a reduction in the number of irregular workers, but then a day later labor minister Kim Dae Hwan had to apologize. Meanwhile irregular workers continue to be either denied the right to organize unions or they engage in strikes that take things to the brink and face hard-line reactions from police. It is irresponsible to, despite the situation, unilaterally announce that you are going to pass the bill without demonstrating any willingness to change what it says.
It is true that both labor and business need to make the right decision about passing irregular worker legislation, but first it is the government and ruling party that need to make the right decision. It is time they listen humbly to criticism from places like the National Human Rights Commission and quickly revise the proposed legislation.
The Hankyoreh, 3 November 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] 'Irregular Worker Bill' Must Be Done Right |
