50 Million Won Given to 90,000 Visiting Care and After-School Instructors... Enactment of the 'Essential Workers Act'

Government to Provide Livelihood Support Payments in February Next Year
Designation and Protection of Essential Workers in Case of Disasters
Revision of Industrial Accident Insurance Exclusivity Standards, Legal Amendments
Health Checkup Support for Environmental Cleaners, Delivery and Courier Workers

Minister Lee Jae-gap of the Ministry of Employment and Labor. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government will provide a livelihood support fund of 500,000 KRW per person to 90,000 visiting care workers and after-school instructors in February next year. It will also enact a law to designate and protect essential workers in the event of large-scale disasters such as the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

Lee Jae-gap, Minister of Employment and Labor, announced measures to protect and support essential workers facing difficulties due to the COVID-19 situation on the morning of the 14th at the Government Complex Sejong. These measures were prepared to protect and support essential workers who play a crucial role in maintaining a non-face-to-face (untact) daily life amid the ongoing COVID-19 situation. Since announcing immediately implementable essential worker measures last October, the government formed a task force (TF) with related ministries to identify workers needing protection and discuss additional measures.

First, a livelihood support fund of 500,000 KRW per person will be provided to a total of 90,000 visiting care workers such as home care aides and after-school instructors for elementary, middle, and high schools. These workers, who sustain the public care system despite the risk of COVID-19 infection, have recently faced severe situations such as sharp income declines and unemployment risks.

Minister Lee explained, "The total budget of 46 billion KRW was fully funded by donations prepared by the Korea Federation of Banks, the National Financial Industry Labor Union, and the Bankers Association to overcome the COVID-19 disaster." Workers who have not received unemployment benefits or emergency employment stabilization funds are expected to be eligible for the livelihood support. The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to finalize eligibility criteria by the end of this year and aims to disburse the funds in February next year.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In February next year, the government will also promote the enactment of the 'Essential Worker's Protection and Support Act.' This law institutionalizes a system to designate essential workers and establish and implement protection measures according to the type and scale of large-scale disasters such as COVID-19, floods, and earthquakes. It defines the concept of essential work, the roles of the government and local governments, and the composition and operation of committees. A Ministry of Employment and Labor official said, "We plan to submit the bill to the National Assembly soon through member legislation," adding, "We aim to have it processed at the February extraordinary session of the National Assembly."

Additionally, in the first half of next year, plans will be prepared to revise the exclusivity criteria for industrial accident insurance, and amendments to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act will be pursued. A task force consisting of labor and management experts is currently operating for this purpose. Even before the law is amended, the ministry plans to identify special-type workers eligible for industrial accident insurance coverage.

Amid the surge in waste due to COVID-19, starting next year, the use of 100ℓ large-capacity volume-based waste bags will be restricted to reduce the physical burden on sanitation workers. The government also plans to replace and automate aging facilities at recycling sorting centers. From next year, customized health checkups for diseases such as pulmonary disease and cerebrovascular disease will be conducted for sanitation workers and delivery workers, with support for diagnostic costs. The distribution of masks to medical staff, sanitation workers, and cleaning workers will also be continuously expanded. On the 21st, the government plans to announce 'Platform Worker Protection Measures' for motorcycle delivery workers and others.

Furthermore, the government will promote ▲additional staffing support for social welfare facilities following the introduction of the 52-hour workweek ▲expansion of assistant and extended teachers in daycare centers and employment stability support ▲increased financial support to improve the treatment of social welfare facility workers, disability activity support workers, and child caregivers ▲and the enactment of the Social Service Agency Act and Domestic Workers Act.

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