- Date : 2021-08-10
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‘Beyond the 68 Years of Exclusion: The Meaning and Challenges of Securing the Rights of Domestic Workers’
○ Event Title: ‘Beyond the 68 Years of Exclusion: The Meaning and Challenges of Securing the Rights of Domestic Workers
○ Date: 14:00-17:00, Wednesday, June 16th, 2021
○ Venue: Gender Equality Library / Live streaming
○ Organizations: Seoul Foundation on Women & Family, National Household Managers Association, Korean Women Workers Association
○ Objectives : With the passage of ‘Domestic Worker Employment Improvement Act’ at the National Assembly’s plenary session on May 21st, the institutional basis for guaranteeing the labor rights of domestic workers, who have been excluded from the legal worker status. Therefore, this forum seeks to examine the significance, characteristics and future prospects of the legislation. Moreover, in the context of platform-based domestic labor gradually increasing, the forum aims to identify the current situation of related labor and seek ways to strengthen policy support.
○ Overview of the Session
| Speakers | Overview |
|---|---|
| KIM Jae Soon (Head of National Household Managers Association) |
The Voice in the field: Legal Protection for all of workers! KIM Jae Soon, head of the National Household Managers Association, shared the voices of domestic workers who have existed as ‘invisible laborers’ because they work at home, and addressed her efforts to improve the employment and the work environment of domestic workers and push for legislation since 2004. She pointed out that although the enactment of the law is the result of past efforts, there are still domestic workers who are excluded from the application of the law, and that all rights under the Labor Standards Act are not fully guaranteed. However, she explained that she will continue to work hard to ensure that workers are guaranteed a safe workplace and their rights. |
| PYO Dae Joong (Labor Attorney) |
Presentation 1: Meaning and Future Prospects of the ‘Domestic Worker Employment Improvement Act’ Labor Attorney, PYO Dae Joong explained the background and outline of the legislative movement on ‘Domestic Worker Employment Improvement Act’. In addition, he highlighted government support for companies, and labor rights to improve working environment(application of the Labor Standards Act in regards to wage, minimum working hours, vacation use and types of domestic work services, etc.) as the core contents of the Act. Furthermore, regarding areas that are not yet included in the legislation, he presented four different tasks: 1) the expansion of service providers so that public institutions can support domestic work services provided mainly by non-profit organizations, 2) the review of the enacted law and its ability to revitalize the domestic servic market and protect workers before the enforcement date, 3) future measures for domestic workers excluded from the law, and 4) review of the right to purchase domestic services. |
| KUK Mi Ae (SFWF Senior Research Fellow) |
Presetation 2: The Status of Platform-based Domestic Labor and Policy Tasks KUK Mi Ae, a senior research fellow at the SFWF, conducted a survey targeting women who provides domestic services through online platforms and whose income from platform labor was at least 60% of their average monthly income, focusing on the expansion of the domestic labor market through online platforms. She examined the current status of domestic labor platform in four areas: income activity, contract type and level of social security, labor process and experience, and job prospects and policy demand. Reflecting the results of the survey, she suggested three policy directions and tasks: 1) establishment of appropriate labor standards such as working hours and environment, 2) guarantee of fair contracts through establishment of regulation of platform labor contracts, and 3) expansion of social security through reorganization of social security system based on ‘worker’ status. ▶More on research results: |