The staff a conglomerate's employee magazine did a survey of survey of what employees want most. Some 36.6 percent, the largest group, want job security. 31.9 percent said they want better benefits, and 18.4 percent said they want better wages. Every place of employment pays differently, manages its staff differently, and offers different working environments. Though it might be hard to generalize, however, it would not seem unreasonable to cite that survey as evidence of how anxious people feel about the jobs they hold. Indeed, workers in their fifties feel their jobs are insecure, and they say people start worrying about how stable their jobs as they start to enter their forties. Nevertheless, the big conglomerates and those who put the market before all else say it needs to be easier to lay people off.
Guaranteed retirement is problematic but it would also be undesirable to have early retirement become regular practice. Going against the trend towards an aging society will inevitably lead to increased social costs such as greater welfare expenditures. One also doubts whether the concept of having the same job for life really runs counter to improving productivity. Typical Japanese companies like Toyota and Honda are performing quite well in terms of productivity, and keep employees even until beyond retirement age. Some experts will tell you that the loyalty employees feel for companies that offer them stabile employment leads to higher productivity. It only makes sense that it is hard to be devoted to your job when at the same time you have to worry about how you are going to survive should you get laid off. One of the most promising ways to increase the growth potential of the Korean economy is improving the quality of labor, so forcing employees to retire early is a waste of people with experience and knowledge of the work at hand.
The government, big business, and the labor community need to work together to find some answers. How conglomerates think about this is important. There is a big difference between trying to find ways to let go of well-paid workers and trying to use highly experienced workers even if it means being flexible with pay and work structures.
The Hankyoreh, 3 January 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
[Editorial] When Job Security is More Important Than Pay |
