Govt to Open Regular Jobs for Foreign Laborers

The government has introduced a plan to abolish the existing contract employment of foreign laborers and allow businesses to hire foreigners in equal terms with Koreans. The employment permission plan also allows foreign workers to form a labor union and act collectively, which is likely to spark controversy.

The Ministry of Labor drew up the proposal after consultation with related government agencies, and is now set to nail down the plan at a deputy minister-level meeting next week for passage in the extraordinary National Assembly session slated for April this year.

MOL is seeking to abolish the contract employment system presently supervised by the Korean Federation of Small and Medium Businesses (KFSB). Under the new plan, local employment centers and the Korea Industry Workforce Corporation will instead take on the responsibility of bringing in and finding jobs for foreign laborers.

˝The existing contract system has not only led to a large number of illegal immigrants and human rights abuses, but also failed to resolve the lack of workforce in the manufacturing sector,˝ said an official at the ministry, ˝which is why we decided to abolish the program after consultation with other agencies.˝

˝The new employment plan will not resolve the problems of illegal alien workers and human rights abuses,˝ said KFSB in response. ˝It will only hurt competitiveness of small and medium firms by inviting demands for bonus and severance payments from foreign workers.˝

The employment permission will allow manufacturers, construction companies and service firms having difficulties finding workers to hire foreign laborers. Some 300 small businesses suffering from the lack of workforce will first be allowed to hire foreigners.

The size of foreigner labor force will be decided on an annual base by the Foreign Workforce Policy Review Panel, which will be set up under the Office of Prime Minister.

Business owner will be allowed to hire foreign workers only after they fail to find workers for more than a month from the date they initially file an application at the local employment center. The government then will offer resumes of a number of candidates so that businesses choose ones they want.

Foreign workers will be able to stay for up to three years, and contracts will be renewed every year. Those hired through the employment permission program, in particular, will be subject to workers` right to collective actions as well as insurance and payment guarantee.

The Ministry of Justice also recently decided to extend stay for some 157,000 illegal foreigners due to leave the country by the end of March. Meanwhile, the government is considering granting a worker status to skilled laborers if the passage of the proposal is delayed at the National Assembly.

Jin Lee leej@donga.com