Pay Raise for Temporary Workers Mulled

The Grand National Party is considering a pay raise for temporary workers, according to an internal party report obtained by The Dong-A Ilbo yesterday.

The ruling party also wants to amend the Non-Regular Workers Protection Act to allow temps to extend their employment period several more years. The law requires employers to either hire a temporary worker permanently after he or she finishes two years of a contract, but most companies have opted to let such workers go.

The revision seeks to allow temps whose two-year employment period has expired to continue working for an additional two or three years, as well as raise pay for those whose employment period is extended.

The party will choose between a 10 percent raise and an increase in retirement pay. If the latter is chosen, temps will get retirement grants equal to two months’ wages instead of one month.

Also under consideration is allowing continuous employment of non-regular workers if companies introduce a wage system that sets wages by job position rather than employment status. This is intended to eliminate disputes over wage discrimination against temps.

The party also scrapped at the last minute a proposal to extend temps’ work period two to three years if management and labor agree. This is because the plan would have effectively limited the employment period to four to five years since temps lack negotiating power.

The revision to the temporary workers’ law is expected to face obstacles, however, since it will increase the financial burden of companies.

needjung@donga.com