Daejeon City Establishes Youth Labor Protection Support Group to Safeguard 'Youth Labor Rights'

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Daejeon City is promoting the ‘Youth Labor Rights Protection Project’ to safeguard the labor rights of part-time working youth.

The city announced on the 29th that it will establish a Youth Labor Protection Support Team at the City Youth Counseling Welfare Center and begin operations in the second half of the year.

The support team will be responsible for counseling and resolving unfair treatment experienced by working youth, as well as providing labor rights education.

The city believes that youth workers are often exposed to unfair treatment such as wage arrears and the absence of written labor contracts at workplaces.

For example, a 2020 survey conducted by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family found that one in three working youth experienced human rights violations, with typical unfair treatments including wage arrears, demands for overtime work, and lack of guaranteed break times.

On the other hand, it is understood that most youth respond passively to unfair treatment, with 74.1% ‘enduring and continuing to work’ and 17.6% ‘simply quitting the job.’

Reflecting these circumstances, the support team plans to provide tailored counseling to youth who find it difficult to respond alone due to lack of labor law knowledge, assist with workplace visits and mediation, and offer consultations through labor-related specialized institutions to help actively address unfair treatment.

Additionally, the team will visit youth-related institutions such as middle and high schools to conduct ‘visiting labor rights education’ and provide ‘vocational education and career counseling’ to help youth prepare not only for short-term part-time jobs but also for future careers.

Youth in need of the support team’s assistance can apply for support by visiting the City Youth Counseling Welfare Center.

Park Moon-yong, Director of the City Youth and Family Bureau, said, “Youth are more frequently exposed to labor rights violations compared to adult workers. Through the Youth Labor Rights Project, the city will provide integrated services including grievance counseling, protection, and career education to ensure that part-time job experiences become valuable for their future careers.”

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