Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center: "Don't Worry About Unpaid Wages and Industrial Accidents in the COVID-19 Era"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, many workers are suffering due to economic and job crises.

Last year alone, 413,722 workers in South Korea failed to receive 1.6393 trillion won in wages.

Meanwhile, the Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center is drawing attention for providing significant assistance in resolving unpaid wage and industrial accident issues for vulnerable workers in the province.

A man in his 50s named Baek, who had been working at a restaurant in Icheon from June to December last year, earning 100,000 won per day, faced livelihood difficulties following a sudden job loss after the COVID-19 outbreak.

At that time, he learned that he could receive assistance through the 'Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center' and inquired about his unpaid wage issue. The center provided free counseling support through a village labor consultant, guiding him that he could receive weekly holiday allowances in addition to his daily wages, and helped him reach a reasonable agreement with the restaurant owner.

Baek stated, "I was unable to afford paid labor consultant services due to livelihood difficulties, not receiving coverage under the four major insurances including health insurance and having to rely on my daughter's company for help. I am grateful for the active support from Gyeonggi Province."

A man in his 50s named Lee, who had been working as a cooking manager at a food company in Ansan, injured his lower back in February while lifting heavy items.
The problem was that at the time there was no written employment contract, and the employer paid daily wages rather than a regular salary, resulting in unpaid wages as well.

Upon hearing Lee's story, the Labor Rights Center conducted in-depth counseling on wage non-payment so that Lee could file for remedial measures, and provided detailed guidance on procedures for filing industrial accident claims and various other forms of support.

A man named Kwon from Yeoju was anxious about whether his mother, a factory worker, could receive appropriate compensation and rehabilitation benefits after her fingers were caught in a press machine, since the workplace was not enrolled in industrial accident insurance and no employment contract had been signed.

Fortunately, he learned about the Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center and received counseling. He was able to receive detailed guidance on industrial accident compensation procedures according to his mother's contract type.

Kim Gyu-sik, head of the Labor Bureau, stated, "The economic downturn caused by COVID-19 has led to situations of unfair labor contracts where workers cannot execute employment contracts on an equal footing or are forced to accept poor working conditions," adding, "The Labor Rights Center will actively provide assistance so that no one loses protection of their labor rights due to lack of knowledge."

Since its opening in March 2019, the Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center has provided counseling and assistance for remedying various labor rights violations.

In particular, since last year, it has conducted labor law education for a total of 39 sessions with 1,988 business owners from small-scale workplaces and other sectors, focusing on 'improving labor awareness.'

Residents in need of counseling can refer to the Gyeonggi Province Labor Rights Center website (www.labor.gg.go.kr) or directly contact the center at (031-8030-4541).