{"id":2204362,"date":"2024-03-21T15:45:46","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T06:45:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204362"},"modified":"2024-03-22T19:04:04","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T10:04:04","slug":"south-korean-proposal-to-pay-foreigners-less-sparks-uproar-over-worker-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/03\/south-korean-proposal-to-pay-foreigners-less-sparks-uproar-over-worker-rights\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korean proposal to pay foreigners less sparks uproar over worker rights"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s rapidly aging population has created a pressing demand for elderly care services, but the country faces a critical shortage of care workers. This imbalance has led to a sharp increase in care costs, placing a heavy financial burden on average households.<\/span><\/p>\n In response, the Bank of Korea (BOK) has <\/span>proposed<\/span><\/a> a contentious solution: recruiting foreign workers and offering them wages below the national minimum wage.<\/span><\/p>\n The proposal to introduce foreign labor at sub-minimum wages has sparked intense debate, with critics arguing that it undermines labor rights and perpetuates discrimination. Advocates, however, see it as a necessary measure to alleviate the mounting pressure on South Korean families and ensure the availability of affordable care services.<\/span><\/p>\n CARE COST AND HOUSEHOLD INCOMES<\/b><\/p>\n The BOK <\/span>reports<\/span><\/a> that the monthly average cost of caregiving in South Korea is 1.7 times the median income of elderly households (aged 65 and over). In contrast, child care assistance costs exceed 50% of the median income of households in their 30s. This disparity makes it difficult for regular families to afford caretakers.<\/span><\/p>\n Kang Cheol-hee, a professor of social welfare at Yonsei University, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that many South Korean households would not be able to hire foreign caregivers if the government mandates that workers qualify for the national minimum wage.<\/span><\/p>\n The average monthly salary of Koreans is about $2,200 (3 million won) and the minimum wage is currently $1,490 (2 million won) per month.<\/span><\/p>\n In light of this, the BOK has proposed employing foreign workers in caregiving services at wages lower than the national minimum wage. However, migrant organizations have sharply criticized this proposal, arguing that it disregards labor rights and perpetuates discrimination against immigrants and women.<\/span><\/p>\n The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) \u2014 an umbrella labor organization \u2014 highlighted the already low wages of home care workers.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHome care workers\u2019 wages are so low that they threaten the right to live. And all these jobs are on irregular contract terms. Who would endure such conditions?\u201d Jeon Ho-il, the vice chairman of the KCTU, stated during a press conference last weekend.<\/span><\/p>\n The Migrant Workers\u2019 Union argued that the proposal <\/span>violates<\/span><\/a> the International Labour Organization\u2019s Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, which prohibits discrimination based on nationality or social status, and the ROK Constitution, which guarantees the right to equality.<\/span><\/p>\n Foreign caregivers\u2019 low wages are further exacerbated by the abuse that many of them face at the hands of their employers. A <\/span>2022 survey<\/span><\/a> by the KCTU\u2019s social welfare branch revealed that 43% of foreign respondents working in family centers have experienced discrimination and bullying.<\/span><\/p>\n