1. Government prepares sectoral strategies on jobs in accordance with its ‘Five-Year Job Policy Roadmap’
On 12 December, the Presidential Committee on Jobs held its 4th meeting and discussed strategies to improve jobs in construction, and its plans to create scientific technology & ICT-based jobs in accordance with its Five-Year Job Policy Roadmap.
The government will push ahead with 10 specific tasks towards accomplishing 3 major objectives including ensuring payment of wages for construction workers, improving working environments, and improving worker skills.
< Details on Strategies to Improve Jobs in the Construction Industry >
| 3 Major Objectives | 10 Specific Tasks |
| Strengthening payment of wages | ① Expand electronic payment system to all public institutions |
| ② Introduce a wage payment guarantee system (overdue wages are paid by guaranteeing institutions) | |
| ③ Introduce an appropriate wage system | |
| Improve working environments | ④ Reduce blind spots in welfare for construction workers (such as by increasing the size of retirement fund) |
| ⑤ Permit construction workers (individual business owners) who operate construction machinery to subscribe to a retirement fund automatically | |
| ⑥ Improve jobs in the design and engineering industries | |
| Improve worker skills | ⑦ Introduce a construction technician rating system (Increase wage levels as work experience is gained) |
| ⑧ Introduce an electronic work management system at construction sites | |
| ⑨ Strengthen education and training (increase number of participants, designate training institutes for each region) | |
| ⑩ Deport illegal foreign workers through strengthened inspections |
2. MOEL strengthens labor inspections of workplaces with industrial relations issues
The Ministry of Employment & Labor (MOEL) carried out labor inspections from 1 to 22 December on hospitals (6 workplaces) where wages for new nurses were overdue as the National Assembly and the press raised doubts. Seoul National University Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, Konkuk University Medical Center, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Ulsan University Hospital, and Busan Medical Center were all inspected.
The MOEL expressed during its report in the National Assembly last September that it will strengthen labor inspections on workplaces where labor disputes are frequent.
The MOEL also plans to carry out labor inspections or implement a service to improve working conditions autonomously throughout the medical industry in the first half of next year. Young-ju Kim, Minister of Employment and Labor, urged through the press that other hospitals not included in the labor inspections are to take the initiative to correct their own situations.