KCTU: "Businesses with fewer than 5 employees have many women, non-regular workers, elderly, and low wages"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] It has been pointed out that employees of small-scale workplaces with fewer than five workers are paid low wages without legal protection.
On the 11th, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) held a "Policy Task Presentation on Guaranteeing the Rights of Workers in Small Workplaces for the Local Elections" at the KCTU Education Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, revealing the working conditions of workplaces with fewer than five employees.
According to the KCTU, in the first half of last year, the total number of workers in South Korea was 20,647,000, of which 3,684,000 (17.8%) belonged to workplaces with fewer than five employees. Among workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees, women numbered 1,898,000 (51.5%), exceeding men (1,786,000; 48.5%).
Among workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees, 60.5% (2,230,000) are non-regular workers. When looking at the age distribution of workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees, those aged 55 and older account for 31.7% (1,167,000), which is higher than those aged 34 and younger (1,001,000; 27.2%).
The average monthly wage of workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees is 1.81 million won, which is 940,000 won less than the average for all workers (2.75 million won). For workplaces with 5?9 employees, it is 2.24 million won; 10?29 employees, 2.56 million won; 30?99 employees, 2.93 million won; 100?299 employees, 3.32 million won; and 300 or more employees, 4.22 million won. Among workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees, 27.9% (1,017,000) were found to be earning wages below the minimum wage.
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Gwak Yi-kyung, Director of the Unorganized Strategy and Organization Office at KCTU, emphasized, "The government must fully apply the Labor Standards Act to workers in workplaces with fewer than five employees and strengthen monitoring and supervision of violations of the Minimum Wage Act." She added, "To guarantee the rights of workers in small workplaces excluded from the official legal system, the role of local governments is important," and said, "Ahead of the June 1 local elections, we hope that policy pledges to eliminate discrimination against workers in blind spots will be presented."
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