"Improving Working Conditions for Care and Delivery Workers"…Launch of Intergovernmental TF for Essential Workers

Kim Yong-beom, 1st Vice Minister of Strategy and Finance / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] A pan-government task force (TF) team has been launched to improve the poor working conditions of essential workers such as care service providers and delivery workers.

On the 6th, Kim Yong-beom, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Im Seo-jeong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, jointly chaired the inaugural meeting of the Essential Workers TF at the Government Seoul Office. Essential workers refer to face-to-face workers who provide core services to protect the lives and safety of the people and maintain social functions. This includes healthcare and care workers, delivery workers, sanitation workers, and parcel delivery drivers.

At the meeting, they discussed ▲ measures to strengthen the safety and protection of essential workers and ▲ the future direction of TF operations. The first set of measures, prepared mainly by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, was taken as the agenda for the first meeting, and additional support plans will be prepared through discussions among related ministries in the future.

Vice Minister Kim said, "We plan to prepare comprehensive measures so that essential workers can work with pride and dignity," adding, "We will realize a society where they work in hygienic, safe, and pleasant working environments and receive appropriate treatment."

Im Seo-jeong, Vice Minister of Employment and Labor [Photo by Yonhap News]

First, the TF plans to start by clearly establishing the concept and scope of essential workers. Vice Minister Kim urged, "Please pay close attention in the general and each working group to ensure that no essential worker who is truly needed is excluded from the support target."

He continued, "Detailed measures must be based on a thorough survey of working conditions and difficulties," emphasizing, "Collaboration among related ministries, as well as between the central government and local governments, is also very important."

Vice Minister Im said, "It is urgent to improve the working environment of essential workers who play an important role in protecting the safety and health of the people and supporting a contactless society," adding, "Considering the urgency, the first meeting needs to focus on matters that can be implemented immediately."

He mentioned the tasks for improving the working environment of essential workers, including ▲ establishing institutional and physical infrastructure to protect against COVID-19 infection and industrial accidents ▲ checking compliance with labor laws and expanding manpower to prevent overwork of parcel delivery and delivery workers ▲ strengthening employment safety nets ▲ and customized support tasks to resolve difficulties in each field.

Vice Minister Im urged, "In a situation where it is unknown how long the COVID-19 crisis will continue, if the protection and treatment improvement of essential workers are not carried out in a timely manner, social confusion may worsen," and added, "Each ministry should ensure that the discussed tasks are implemented immediately and achieve effects on the ground."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.