Category: Workers’ Health and Safety

Korean government’s “welfare spending and allocation still inadequate” (The Hankyoreh)

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/731676.html

Posted on Feb.23, 2016

South Korea far below OECD average in welfare spending, and policies failing to address poverty and inequality

South Korean spending on public and social welfare amounted to 9.33% of gross domestic product in 2013, while the welfare and taxation system has fallen severely short in relieving poverty and inequality.These were among the findings in a report titled 2013 South Korean Social Welfare Expenditures written last year by the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHASA) commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. The ministry and KIHASA plan to officially submit the results to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) next month.

Poverty rate in OECD member countries
Public and social welfare spending yet to pass 10% of GDP
According to the KIHASA report, South Korean public and social welfare spending for 2013 totaled 133.4 trillion won (US$108.7 billion), or 9.33% of GDP. The rate was up 0.51 percentage points from the year before, but still hovered below the 10% of GDP mark. The 2012 average for other OECD countries stood at 21.6%.In the past, the South Korean government has announced public and social welfare spending rates of 9.6% of GDP in 2012 and 10.2% in 2013, with a projected 10.4% rate for 2014. The figures in the KIHASA report were the result of a new analysis using the manual and then altered to conform to OECD standards.A detailed breakdown of public and social welfare spending showed 51 trillion won (US$41.6 billion) in general central and local government social welfare expenditures and 81.6 trillion won (US$66.5 billion) in social insurance expenditures, including health insurance and the public pension. Legally prescribed private social welfare expenditures, or the sum of severance pay and retirement pensions, stood at 10.6 trillion won (US$8.6 billion), or 0.74% of GDP. Taken together, the figures show South Korean social welfare expenditures – including public and social welfare spending and legally prescribed private social welfare spending – totaling 144 trillion won (US$117.4 billion), or 10.07% of GDP.“Public and social welfare spending is a statistic that shows the extent to which the government guarantees against societal risks, but in South Korea that number has yet to pass 10% of GDP,” said KIHASA research Ko Kyung-hwan, who oversaw the analysis.“If we consider the social services spending demanded by an aging society, it’s clear that we need more active measures to allocate welfare finances,” Ko added.
South Korean welfare expenditure
Welfare and taxation failing to address poverty and inequality
The report also noted that despite tax measures and continued increases in social spending since the foreign exchange crisis of the late ’90s, South Korea‘s current welfare and taxation systems are failing to do much to alleviate inequality or poverty. The Gini coefficient – a measure that rates income inequality on a scale from zero to one, with higher numbers indicating greater inequality – was calculated at 0.338 for market income in terms of the 2012 median household income. For disposable income, or market income with taxes and social insurance premiums subtracted and the welfare benefits like the basic or national pension added in, the number was 0.307. The difference of just 0.031 percentage points between the values for market and disposable income mean that the social service and tax systems haven’t contributed significantly to relieving inequality. In advanced economies, market income inequality is greatly reduced through the social service and tax systems.Take Denmark: the country, which ranks first for having the world’s lowest inequality, had a high market income Gini coefficient of 0.436, but the social security system and tax measures there have resulted in a much lower disposable income coefficient of 0.249. The US, in contrast, had both a high market income coefficient of 0.513 and a high disposable income coefficient of 0.39 – making it one of the most unequal countries in the world.South Korea’s social service and tax systems have also done little to lower the poverty rate. Two values were calculated for the country‘s poverty rate, or the percentage of people earning less than 50% the median income for 2012: a market income poverty rate of 16.5% and a disposable income poverty rate of 14.6%. In other words, the poverty reduction effect from the social service and tax systems amounted to just 1.9 percentage points. The country also ranked 26th out of the 29 countries analyzed for disposable income poverty rate. Sweden had a difference of 17.1 percentage points between the former and latter, Great Britain 20.2 percentage points.At the Hankyoreh’s request, KIHASA conducted another poverty rate analysis only for the working-age population of those 15 and older. The results were a market income poverty rate of 10% and a disposable income poverty rate of 10.9% – meaning the situation was actually worse. The numbers show that government welfare spending through taxation and the social security system is channeled many toward disadvantaged segments, with little made available to the working poor or other working-age South Koreans.
Senior support ratio expected to skyrocket in four years
South Korea is poised for an explosive rise in its senior citizen support ratio between 2020 and 2030, as the roughly nine million baby boomers born between 1955 and 1964 reach the age of 65. The senior support ratio represents the number of people aged 65 or older for every 100 member of the productive population aged 15 to 64. The 2015 rate stood at 17.9%; in 2020, it is expected to pass 20% for the first time at around 22.2%. By 2030, it is predicted to soar to around 38% – a number that would put it ahead of Sweden (37%), Great Britain (35%), and the US (33.8%).
By Lee Chang-gon, staff reporter
Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]

 

Newsletter from Solidarity for Worker’s Health (2015. August)  

 

#1. Death of subcontract worker in Hyundai and its major shareholder Chung Mong-Joon ruining for Fifa presidency

There are forty thousand subcontract worker in Hyundai Heavy Industry (HHI). These workers take the burden of the heaviest and most dangerous works but suffer low-wage and poor work environment. On just last year, 2014, 13 subcontract workers died during working, and all accidents were brutal one, which would not happened if the corporate had concerned a bit more about workplace safety.

To reduce the accident and death on workplaces, HHI subcontract labor union and Solidarity for Worker’s Health is preceding various activities. One of them is informing overseas investors and ship-owners of dreadful situation in workplaces. On May 20th, we have received some answers from a few investors that they will put their effort on making safer shipyard.

Continuing our activities, we has distributed a report on workplace injuries on HHI on English (file is attached) and operated English homepage in order to inform more overseas investors and ship-owners (http://unsafehhi.org/)

On August 15th, major shareholder of HHI Jung Mong-Joon held a press conference in Paris to announce his candidacy for FIFA presidency. On that day, subcontract workers of HHI held press conference for pressing improvement of workplace safety and treatment of injured subcontract workers in front of National Assembly building of the Republic of Korea (Relevant article in English http://laborhealth.or.kr/40649 ).

 

#2. Asserting legislation to penalize corporation for serious disaster

Laborlegislation

Still, workplace fatalities kill more than 2,000 people every year. Solidarity for Worker’s Health has been claiming for legislation of Corporate Homicide Act for more than 10 years in South Korea. Currently, countries like United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia have implemented these legislations, which are also known as corporate manslaughter law and corporate killing law.

On April 16th, 2014, ferry named Sewolho went down, which caused 304 deaths. Taking this as a momentum, civic society of Korea including Solidarity for Sewol Ferry Tragedy (http://sewolho416.org/) has gathered to draw effort to legislate a bill which aims for making a safer society, hoping never again to meet another disasters like Sewolho.

Newsletter from Solidarity for Worker’s Health (2015. June)

#1. Repression of labor union, leading to social homicide

POSCO center, Gangnam. The activist from Solidarity for Worker’s Health is picketing for apology from POSCO and EZtech

Recently, social homicide of worker goes into headlines  one after another in multiple medias in  South Korea. On May 10th, a worker of ‘EZ-tech’ owned by Mr. Park Ji-man, who is brother of  president, committed suicide. Mr. Park received the corporation which is subcontractor of POSCO, a steel company, thanks to his father, the former president Park Jung-hee. Workers in the EZ-tech organized the labor union and joined the Korean Confederation of Trade Union, but it was virtually impossible to maintain the union owing to the company’s labor repression.
The one who committed suicide was initially fired  because he had organized the union. After returning to the workplace on the strength  of court‘s decision, he suffered mental distress as no one in the company spoke nor made eye-contact with him. On his suicide note, he wrote ‘there is no one to talk, and it suffocates me‘, ‘my headache is killing me‘. And also, he claimed Mr. Park to stop repressing the workers, as they are working so hard without a  word of complaint in spite of their dangerous working environment , which includes dealing with toxic materials beside the burning roster.

The bereaved and the labor union had been protesting for the apology from the company, sleeping on the road in front of POSCO center and EZ-tech building of Gangnam, Seoul. Therethrough, the union accrued apology and promise to guarantee the labor union’s activity from company, thus the funeral was held on June 15th.

Worker’s who kill themselves due to repression of labor union by the company is not very rare in Korea. Just on this May, 3 activists committed suicide.

#2. Summer labor camp, old labor meeting the new

SWH_1506_02

“Seoul labor rights center” is preparing ‘SUMMER LABOR’ camp,  suitable for reality of South Korea where most student and young people scrape a living by working in part-time jobs and temporary positions.

“Seoul Labor Rights Center”, where Seoul City opened this year in response to the reality of South Korea where most students and young people scrape a living by working in part-time jobs or temporary positions, is preparing a camp named ‘Summer Labor’

The summer camp, organized by Seoul city and labor NGOs, includes educational sessions about ‘perspectives on labor, viewpoint on current occupation and economy’. It will also encompass several projects such as research on night-work of part-time workers, daily experience as City Hall cleaning, and research of emotional labor of service workers. Solidarity for Worker’s Health will proceed the project making card news for ‘10 health commandment for part-time workers’. By making card news, we plan to focus on social determinants of health with the participants.

Recently, the news on death or traumatic accident of delivery workers is being on the rise as  employment increasing in the delivery job market. Although there are many teenager workers on the job, many of them do not sign an employment contract, without any acknowledgement on the Labor Standards Law and the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act. The efforts of the government to acknowledge people to understand their rights as a worker and to protect their own safety are in urgent need. Solidarity for Worker’s Heath will also continue our struggle to solve the problems related with health right of part-time workers. Traditional labor movement should take fresh plan to meet the need of young  non-regular workers. This mission is also valid for the Solidarity for Worker’s Heath.

Solidaridad para La Salud de los Trabajadores

www.laborhealth.or.kr

Solidaridad para La Salud de los Trabajadores

 

 

Solidaridad para La Salud de los Trabajadores (SST) es una organización independiente no lucrativa que apoya los lazos entre los movimientos de trabajadores, de salud y de derechos humanos.

En nuestra organización existen trabajadores, médicos y muchos profesionales que trabajan para luchar contra los despidos y la desigualdad, junto con el personal dedicado a las actividades de SST.

Las actividades principales de SST son las siguientes:

Primero, investigar los problemas de salud del trabajador y proponer las políticas en cuestión.

Segundo, establecer un mecanismo para proteger a los trabajadores contra los accidentes mortales que ocurren en las empresas e imponer las leyes correspondientes.

Tercero, tratar de dar apoyo sustancial para mitigar los problemas de salud del trabajador.

 

1. Investigar los problemas del trabajador y Proponer las políticas sanitarias

Desde el año pasado (2004), SST ha trabajado para investigar los riesgos de los trabajadores subcontratados en área de las industrias, como la fabricación de barcos, construcción y minería. Según las investigaciones de SST, los trabajadores informales de estas áreas han estado más vulnerables a los riesgos de accidentes, ya que sus condiciones de trabajo no son buenas y calificadas como inferiores a los trabajadores formales. Por lo mismo, SST ha solicitado ayuda al Gobierno para mejorar la desigualdad de condiciones y estableciera ciertas regulaciones al respecto. En este ámbito, SST se ocupará del área de la industria de textiles este año.

 

2. Imponer leyes y/o regulaciones para proteger los trabajadores contra los accidentes mortales en las empresas.
Las cifras de las muertes producidas en los puestos de trabajo en Corea del Sur son más altas en los países de OCDE. Sin embargo, las empresas no han asumido las responsabilidades correspondientes, aunque los trabajadores murieran en malas condiciones del trabajo. Por esta razón, SST ha realizado acusaciones para corregir esta situación que se ha convertido en habitual. Debido a estos esfuerzos constantes, en Corea ha surgido más interés y consideración por los problemas y las condiciones de salud de los trabajadores. Incluso se logró dar a conocer la importancia de la imposición de leyes para la protección de los trabajadores contra los accidentes que suelen suceder en el puesto de trabajo.

Además, SST ha estado trabajando en imponer “Acto Homicida Corporativo”, como una necesidad urgente para dar a conocer las cifras de criminalidad en relación con las muertes de los trabajadores provocados por los accidentes industriales.

 

3. Apoyo substancial para los problemas de salud del trabajador.
SST ha tratado de informar a los medios de comunicación sobre las malas condiciones de trabajo y los bajos salarios a los que están sometidos los trabajadores, y, de alguna manera, funcionar como una consultoría para los trabajadores, para que ellos tengan acceso a las consultas médicas directamente. Este tipo de trabajo se lleva a cabo a través de correos electrónicos y teléfonos en cualquier horario del día.

Además, muchos trabajadores luchan contra la explotación y el maltrato por parte de las empresas, hacen protestas y/o manifestaciones en las calles o en lugares peligrosos como por ejemplo las áreas de trabajo de alto nivel de riesgo y de acceso limitado. En tal caso, a los médicos les toca acompañar a esos trabajadores para chequear sus estados de salud, lo cual es un trabajo intenso y riesgoso para los médicos también. Este año, SST recibió un agradecimiento por parte de la Unión de Trabajadores por el trabajo realizado.

 

 

Sewol Ferry desastres

1)

“Accidente donde murieron 304 personas en un barco hundido. Entre ellos 246 eran estudiantes de preparatoria de la misma escuela, que fueron de viaje a Isla Jeju. Después de que sucedió la tragedia, los padres que perdieron sus queridos hijos en el accidente están pidiendo el comité independiente para investigar el caso. Como el gobierno y la presidenta Park lo están negando, los padres aún están luchando en las calles por esta causa”

 

El 16 de Abril de 2014, al sur de la península de Corea, un barco se hundió en el mar Jindo. Sobrevivieron pocas personas, incluyendo el capitán y el personal del barco. Mientras el barco se estaba hundiendo, la administración Park, la Policía y la Fuerza Marítima no pudieron rescatar a ninguna persona de las que estaba dentro del barco, ya que no había ni plan ni organización.

El cambio ilegal de la estructura del barco, las cargas excesivas, la corrupción de funcionarios del gobierno y la falta de capacitación del personal son las causas principales que provocaron esta tragedia. Aunque la ciudad donde vivían los 246 estudiantes fallecidos se sumergió en una profunda tristeza, ninguno de los padres de estos estudiantes pudieron escuchar las causas por las que sus hijos murieron en un barco tan grande.

Los padres han luchado por defender la verdad de este hecho contra el gobierno durante un año. Ellos han realizado todo tipo de acciones como protestas, las manifestaciones, huelgas de hambre, etc. Después de luchar durante 1 año, aunque se hizo posible una legislación especial para investigar el caso, el gobierno redujo el presupuesto y el personal, de modo que los padres tuvieron que volver a salir a calle para manifestarse.

En esta lucha, los trabajadores, las activistas y SST están reuniendo sus fuerzas junto con los ciudadanos, como forma de solidaridad. No cabe duda de que si la verdad llega a conocerse sin que el gobierno asuma su responsabilidad, la democracia y la justicia de Corea retrocederían.

 

2)

Durante los últimos 10 años, SST ha realizado investigaciones sobre los números de las muertes de los trabajadores, así como revelando el nombre de la empresa, llamando “la pésima empresa que mata la gente”, igual conmemorando a los trabajadores fallecidos. Corea del Sur se encuentra en el primer lugar entre los países de OCDE donde surgen más casos de muertes de los trabajadores, y esto no ha cambiado en los últimos 10 años. En Corea, las empresas tienen más beneficios y menos impuestos, siendo muy tolerables a la corrupción y el crimen empresarial. En este ambiente, los problemas, como el bajo salario, muchos empleos informales (más de 50%) y las condiciones desfavorables, siempre han sido cruciales y graves.

Sobre todo, los trabajos que corren mucho riesgo como la construcción, la fabricación de barcos y la industria de acero son para los trabajadores informales subcontratados, quienes se encuentran más vulnerables a los accidentes que provocan las muertes. Estos se convierten en los problemas sociales más polémicos, ya que la mayoría son las empresas más grandes en Corea.

El gobierno de Corea, incluso, los coreanos, suelen considerar que las muertes provocadas por los accidentes industriales son “inevitables”. Por lo mismo, hay poco consenso de que la empresa tenga que asumir la responsabilidad por la muerte del trabajador en el puesto de trabajo. SST ha alegado que si la empresa no hace nada, aunque se pueden impedir los accidentes a través del mejoramiento del sistema de la administración y/o la inversión correspondiente, ello ya es un acto criminal que se comete contra los trabajadores.

En abril del presente año 2014, se revelará la lista del nombre de las empresas que han cometido más crímenes en contra de los trabajadores, y seguro que la más grande será seleccionada “de honor”.

 

3)

Este año, lamentablemente, habrá una lista más, donde se incluye el hundimiento del barco que hubo en el año pasado. En esta lista, se incluirán además las empresas que han provocado los accidentes contra los ciudadanos durante los últimos 10 años, ya que estas empresas se van olvidando con el tiempo, de tal manera que las mismas empresas habían podido evitar sus responsabilidades. Por lo tanto, revelando la lista de los nombres de dichas empresas será una oportunidad para recordar las acciones ilegales y criminales que habían cometido contra los ciudadanos inocentes.

Además, se hará una lista de las empresas que han provocado más muertes de trabajadores en los últimos 10 años. En esta lista se incluirá no sólo los casos de muertes provocadas por accidentes, sino también por suicidio, estrés, etc. Debido a las largas jornadas de trabajo impuestas por las empresas, los trabajadores de Corea con el riesgo de ser despedido, están sufriendo mucho de la enfermad no sólo física sino mental, que en un momento dado puede llevarles a la muertes o al estado de estrés que provoca un serio daño físico y mental.

Por ello, la lista de las empresas servirá como modo de advertencia contra la forma de administración que estas llevan. Seguro que en la lista se incluirán las grandes empresas y las gubernamentales.

Sewol Ferry disaster

#1.

 

Sewol ferry disaster was tragic accident where 304 people drowned inside the sinking ship, where 246 teenagers on their way for school trip were included among the casualties. Waves of mourning and condolences spreads for the first anniversary, and the bereaved is calling for independent investigatory agency to scrutinize hidden truth of the disaster. As the Park administration is neglecting the demand, the bereaved is still fighting for the truth on the street.

On April 16th, 2014, a ferry sunk on the Coast of Jin Island, south sea of Korea. Captain, crews and a few passengers have escaped firsthand, while the ship sank gradually for more than few days, disordered and impotent rescue actions ran by the administration have not saved a single life.

There lie many structural problems including illegal reconstruction of the shipment, overloading, corruption of the civil servants, and temporary workers without safety education behind the disaster.

City of Ansan, where victimized 246 high school students resided, fell into great sorrow. No explanation on “why their children were NOT saved” was given to any parents from the government. The parents have been fighting with the Park administration for whole year. To meet the president, they went on sit-in demonstration, fasting on the street calling for the public’s support. The special act was legislated to find out the truth, but the administration downsized the budget and manpower for the task. Korean civic, human right, and labor movements are unifying their forces to protest for this cut-back, and SWH is also one of them. Citizens of South Korea think that the democratic value and justice will fade if the truth of this catastrophic event is not fully covered and the responsibility of the administration is not accused appropriately.

 

#2.

Solidarity for Worker’s Health have been commemorating the occupational fatalities by naming the most hazardous corporate as ‘the worst homicidal corporate’ and making them public for last 10 years. Occupational fatality of South Korea is highest among OECD countries, and this has been true for the whole 10 years. South Korea have generous legislation for crimes and corruption of corporates with relatively low corporate tax. Low wages, non-regular employment-more than 50% of total employment, and discrimination to non-regular employee have been serious problem. Especially, risky industries such as construction, shipbuilding, steel manufacture mostly use subcontract non-regular workers for the hazardous tasks. Many occupational fatalities occurring in these industries are becoming social problem, even because these corporates are major conglomerates monopolizing the wealth of the society.

Koreans mostly conceive the death of employee while working unescapable. Calling for corporate’s responsibility for the death is not strong enough. SWH have been claiming that the fatal accident which can be prevented by proper investment and systemic approach is homicide and crime of the corporate. On this April, we will denounce the list of corporates which killed the most workers in last 10 years. Perhaps, the conglomerates will be honored again.

 

#3.

With breaking heart, we will denounce one more list on coming 1st anniversary of Sewol-ferry disaster. It is the list of corporates which invoked dreadful disasters where many human lives were sacrificed. Each disasters were announced by the press, then forgotten as it had not happened, whereas the corporate avoided their responsibilities. It will be a ceremony which recalls the homicides and crimes of brutal corporates once more.

Also, our original list of the corporates responsible for most occupational fatalities will be announced. This includes deaths by karoshi-death from overwork, occupational disease, suicide, as well as occupational accidents. While corporates coerce longer working-hours and restructuring, workers in Korea live from day to day with the fear of losing their physical and mental health, and being sick to the ground. We denounce these lists to warn the Korean corporate’s labor policies which threaten the health and life of the employee. Sadly, we anticipate to see many conglomerates and public enterprises filling up the list.

 

Related article from NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/12/world/asia/legacy-of-south-korea-sewol-ferry-sinking.html?_r=0

(This post is from “Solidarity for Worker’s Health”; April, 2015)

Solidarity for Worker’s Health: About us

www.laborhealth.or.kr

 

Solidarity for Worker’s Health (SWH) is independent, non-profit organization working for making liaison between Korean labor, health right, and human right movement. We put ourselves in-between anyone who fight with unfair dismissal and inequity. Few full-time activists work for Solidarity for Worker’s Health, but many professional members such as doctors, lawyers support our action.

 

We aim for 3 major objectives. Firstly, we conduct investigation on health problem of laborer and draw policy proposals. Secondly, we accuse corporation for occupational fatality and hold action for Corporation Homicide Act. Lastly, we attempt to give practical support for health problems of workers.

 

1. Research and policy proposals

On 2014, SWH investigated risk and accidents of subcontract workers in shipbuilding industry, plant construction work, and steel industry. The investigation focused on corporation’s negligence on health and industrial accidents and their discrimination on working condition of temporary subcontract workers. According to our investigation, subcontract workers experience high rate of industrial accidents, fail to get appropriate rest, treatment and compensation for the accident. We demanded the government to reinforce the regulation of corporation and amend related legislatures. On 2015, we plan to inquire into health of poor sewing industry workers.

 

2. Company prosecution on Occupational fatality & movement for Corporation Homicide Act

The industrial death rate of South Korea is highest among OECD countries. Corporation does not take full accountability for the death of the employee in risky occupational environment. SWH have been accusing the corporate’s CEO for the claim of employee’s death. As judiciary of South Korea does not consider employee’s death as corporate’s responsibility, the related legislation is meager, and punishment of the CEO is far-off objective.
Nevertheless, by issuing the accusation on press repeatedly, public attention on corporate’s responsibility on occupational fatality. Along with these action, we are accompanying movement for legislation of “Corporate Homicide Act”.

 

3. Practical support for worker’s health problems

SWH attempt to inform the public about poorly paid workers in risky working environment, carry out consultation with the workers, and also connect them with doctors. This work is operated by e-mail and telephone on any time by the activists.
Mostly, workers on fasting or street demonstration frequently request for doctor’s consultation. Recently, several fights of non-regular workers climbed the electronic display sign of high buildings, protesting for low-wage and exploitation. The consultation of these cases is difficult for doctors, as the only way to access the protester is to operate ladder truck and check the health status of the one on high standing advertisement tower on the top of the building. SWH have received appreciation plaque from the labor union this year.