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10 April, 2001Trade union officials are not allowed to get involved in OH&S activities in Korean shipyards.
Since the Asian financial crisis in 1997, occupational health and safety in the Korean shipbuilding industry is basically being ignored, as attention is focused on improving productivity, to the exclusion of all else.
Furthermore, where production has been increased, no fulltime additional labour is employed, and the total employment figures have remained unchanged for the last ten years.
However, where it is necessary to take on additional workers, companies resort to using higher levels of sub-contract labour, who receive much lower wage levels and have significantly worse working conditions, and the unions claim that the government has encouraged the companies to do so.
Where the unions have sought to organise the workers employed by sub-contract companies, the employer, on finding out that the sub-contracted workers have joined or formed a trade union, simply terminates its contract with the sub-contract company, and then seeks out another sub-contractor whose workers are not organised.
While the legal working week is still 44 hours, with every other Saturday off, many of those working in the bigger shipyards have negotiated a 42-hour working week, but the average actually being worked is between 56 and 58 hours per week. In addition, many workers do not take their holiday entitlement, preferring to receive the extra money they get for working overtime, which is 50 per cent.
The unions report that workers who suffer from back injuries or from some form of stress-related illness are not classified as incurring occupational injuries or illnesses; therefore, they are not entitled to receive any sickness benefits. Furthermore, some workers who become ill are dismissed and then do not receive any form of sickness benefits or payment from the company which employed them.
This serious situation is made much more difficult by virtue of the fact that the fulltime trade union officials are not allowed to become involved in OH&S activities in any of the companies.
It should also be pointed out that sub-contract workers account for in excess of 50 per cent of the workforce in most of the unionised shipyards.
The unions would very much like to have the opportunity to make contact with workers in European shipyards to learn about OH&S provisions in other countries, and the IMF will try to help organise such visits.
Furthermore, where production has been increased, no fulltime additional labour is employed, and the total employment figures have remained unchanged for the last ten years.
However, where it is necessary to take on additional workers, companies resort to using higher levels of sub-contract labour, who receive much lower wage levels and have significantly worse working conditions, and the unions claim that the government has encouraged the companies to do so.
Where the unions have sought to organise the workers employed by sub-contract companies, the employer, on finding out that the sub-contracted workers have joined or formed a trade union, simply terminates its contract with the sub-contract company, and then seeks out another sub-contractor whose workers are not organised.
While the legal working week is still 44 hours, with every other Saturday off, many of those working in the bigger shipyards have negotiated a 42-hour working week, but the average actually being worked is between 56 and 58 hours per week. In addition, many workers do not take their holiday entitlement, preferring to receive the extra money they get for working overtime, which is 50 per cent.
The unions report that workers who suffer from back injuries or from some form of stress-related illness are not classified as incurring occupational injuries or illnesses; therefore, they are not entitled to receive any sickness benefits. Furthermore, some workers who become ill are dismissed and then do not receive any form of sickness benefits or payment from the company which employed them.
This serious situation is made much more difficult by virtue of the fact that the fulltime trade union officials are not allowed to become involved in OH&S activities in any of the companies.
It should also be pointed out that sub-contract workers account for in excess of 50 per cent of the workforce in most of the unionised shipyards.
The unions would very much like to have the opportunity to make contact with workers in European shipyards to learn about OH&S provisions in other countries, and the IMF will try to help organise such visits.