Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This report highlights a concerning trend among jewelry companies in Seoul’s Jongno-gu, where only 11% adequately implemented industrial safety measures during a self-inspection. The low participation and boycott of health protection cost support programs underscore the urgent need for continuous management and supervision to safeguard workers’ rights and health.
Health protection cost support programs also largely boycotted… Need for continuous management and supervision raised.
By Reporter Eo Go-eun
▲ Metal Workers’ Union
The Ministry of Employment and Labor conducted a self-inspection targeting jewelry companies in the Jongno-gu area of Seoul regarding employers’ basic obligations to protect workers’ health and labor rights, but participation rates were found to be low. In particular, the implementation of basic industrial health systems such as workplace environment measurement and special health examinations was adequate in only 11% of all targeted workplaces.
According to the ‘Status of Self-Inspection of Basic Industrial Health Systems for Jewelry Companies’ obtained by Daily Labor News on the 14th through Rep. Park Hong-bae of the Democratic Party of Korea, a self-inspection was conducted from August 13 to 31 targeting 526 workplaces in the precious metal and related product manufacturing industry in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The results showed that only 156 workplaces (30%) submitted the self-inspection form, while the remaining 370 (70.3%) did not participate. The 526 workplaces selected by the Ministry are those suspected of possessing harmful factors under the Occupational Safety and Health Act and are subject to workplace environment measurement and special health examinations.
Even among the workplaces that submitted the self-inspection form, only 58 adequately implemented the measures. This means that only about 1 in 10 of all targeted workplaces properly conducted the inspection. Among the 156 workplaces, 54 had no workers or had closed down, and 44 required further confirmation.
Participation in government programs that support costs for special health examinations for small workplaces was also low. Under the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency’s ‘Health Stepping Stone’ program, which supports the implementation of basic industrial health systems for workplaces with fewer than 50 employees, new workplaces for workplace environment measurement receive full support (80% for existing measurement workplaces), and special health examinations receive 90-100% support. As of last month, only 48 workplaces participated in workplace environment measurement support and 40 in special health examination support. This is less than 10% of the 526 workplaces selected by the Ministry for participation.
Rep. Park Hong-bae: “Should not remain a formal inspection”
Participation in the labor sector self-inspection, which focused on the four basic labor orders in addition to the industrial safety sector, was also not high. The four basic orders include the preparation and issuance of employment contracts, issuance of wage statements, compliance with the minimum wage, and prevention of wage arrears.
A self-inspection was conducted in two rounds from August 5 to September 5 targeting 837 workplaces in the precious metal manufacturing industry. The results showed that 304 workplaces (36.3%) submitted the self-diagnosis form. Of these, excluding 75 single-person or family-run workplaces, only 229 (27.4%) completed the self-inspection.
This inspection was promoted as a measure to fulfill a promise made by Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Young-hoon to Kim Jeong-bong, vice chairman of the Metal Workers’ Union’s Eastern Regional Branch, whom he met as a candidate. On the first day Minister Kim reported to the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office, Vice Chairman Kim, who was protesting at the time, shouted, “Please look into this,” leading to a meeting. After Minister Kim took office, the Ministry announced guidance and supervision measures to improve the labor environment for jewelry companies.
Continuous management and supervision are required to ensure that inspections and supervision do not remain one-off events but lead to substantial improvements in the labor environment. Rep. Park Hong-bae emphasized,
The Ministry explained,
After the implementation guidance, targets will be selected and supervision will begin in December. Regarding workplaces that did not submit the labor sector self-inspection, the Ministry stated,
Reporter Eo Go-eun
[email protected]