Suwon Delivers Results on 'Rest Facilities for Security Guards and Cleaners' Through Government Legislation

[Suwon Ilbo=Gang Han-seo, Reporter] An ordinance enacted by Suwon City to provide rest facilities for security guards, cleaners, and other apartment complex workers who previously lacked adequate break areas has borne fruit as legislation, following the recent legislative notice of an identically-worded bill by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

According to the city on the 28th, beginning in July 2015, the city had recommended the installation of rest facilities for security guards and cleaners when constructing new apartment complexes. However, facing limitations due to the lack of legal obligation, the city amended the ordinance one year later in June 2016 through a joint proposal by 17 city council members including Cho Seok-hwan, strengthening the recommendation to a "provision" through the 'Partial Amendment to Suwon City Housing Ordinance.'

More than three years after the ordinance amendment, on May 9 of this year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced a legislative notice for an amendment to the 'Regulations on Housing Construction Standards' that mandates the installation of rest facilities for management office staff, security guards, cleaners, and others working at apartment complexes.

The Ministry's amendment requires housing complexes constructing 50 or more housing units to include rest facilities for workers such as security guards.

Developers must mandatorily install rest facilities during construction. The Suwon City ordinance, created to provide comfortable working conditions for security guards, cleaners, and others, has borne the fruit of "legislative formalization."

Once the law is implemented, working conditions for apartment complex workers including security guards and cleaners are expected to improve significantly.

On May 10, the day following the Ministry's legislative notice, the city submitted an amendment to Gyeonggi Province. The amendment will be delivered to the Ministry.

The amendment adds a provision requiring the installation of rest facilities for cleaning and security workers equipped with sanitation facilities (washing facilities) and heating/cooling systems in housing complexes constructing 50 or more housing units.

This reflects the opinion that "minimum facility standards" are necessary.

Additionally, the specific scope of cleaning and security services and installation standards for sanitation facilities can be separately established through ordinance.

The Ministry's amendment contains no installation standards for ancillary facilities other than rest facilities.

If Suwon City's amendment is reflected, it can prevent situations where only worker rest facilities are built without installing sanitation or heating/cooling systems.

Apartment complexes built before the ordinance amendment are included in the support targets under the 'Suwon City Apartment Complex Management Support Ordinance,' with improvements made to worker conditions.

Since 2017, the city has been supporting air conditioner installation in apartment complex (condominium) contract worker rest areas.

The target for installation cost support includes apartment complexes that obtained project approval under the Housing Act and lack air conditioners in security offices or contract worker rest areas.

Beginning with 69 apartment complexes in 2017, 89 complexes in 2018, and 43 complexes as of May 2019, the city has supported the installation of 445 air conditioners in security offices and contract worker rest areas across 201 complexes, at a total cost of 177.156 million won.

To date, the proportion of apartment complexes with air conditioners installed in security offices and contract worker rest areas stands at 55.4% of the total. The support amount reaches 177.156 million won.

The air conditioner installation cost support project has been a tremendous help to security and contract workers who previously had to rely on a single small fan in cramped spaces even during sweltering heat.

A city official stated, "Suwon City's interest in workers laboring in poor conditions has been established as policy, and we have achieved results leading to 'legislative formalization,'" adding, "We will continue to make efforts to improve working conditions so that workers can labor with their human rights respected."