Seongdong-gu Opens 'Essential and Platform Workers' Shelter'

On the 11th, a shelter open to all essential and mobile workers was established in Seongsu-dong

Convenience spaces equipped with massage chairs, refrigerators, ice water purifiers, and future labor and health counseling programs to be operated

Shelter Opening Ceremony

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced on the 11th that it has opened a shelter for essential and mobile workers in Seongsu-dong.

The Seongdong Essential and Online Special Employment (Platform) Workers' Shelter is located in Seongdong Anshim Shopping Street in Seongsu-dong, the most developed commercial area in Seongdong-gu. It is a resting space created for any workers who need a place to wait or rest during work, including essential workers, delivery workers, courier drivers, and city gas meter readers.

The shelter covers an area of 50㎡ and includes a resting area and a simple cooking space. Users can also access the motorcycle parking lot and smoking room within the building. Notably, a partitioned personal resting space equipped with a massage chair and table was prepared for mobile workers suffering from musculoskeletal disorders.

Additionally, there is a shared resting area with large sofas, single seats, and work computers, as well as a beverage refrigerator, ice water purifier, microwave, and sink.

Before establishing the shelter in May, Seongdong-gu held meetings with actual users such as rider unions, courier labor unions, and care labor unions. Based on their feedback, massage chairs and beverage refrigerators were installed, and a space rental program was introduced, actively reflecting user opinions.

The operating hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and regular programs such as labor counseling, health counseling, and weekend space rental are planned for the future.

The opening of this shelter is an extension of policies implemented by Seongdong-gu to improve the rights and treatment of essential workers, in line with the value of "Inclusive City Seongdong," where no one is excluded or left behind.

In September 2020, Seongdong-gu became the first in the nation to enact the "Essential Workers Protection and Support Ordinance."

Furthermore, through awareness campaigns such as "Thank You, Essential Workers," a broad social consensus was formed, ultimately leading to the enactment in May 2021 of the first law based on the Seongdong-gu ordinance, the "Law on Designation of Essential Work and Protection and Support for Workers."

Massage chair inside the shelter

Since then, over 6,400 essential workers including caregivers, social workers, apartment managers, and village bus drivers have been designated and continuously supported with protective supplies such as masks and self-diagnosis kits, free influenza vaccinations, and psychological counseling. Recently, Seongdong-gu conducted the nation’s first wage survey and wage system reform project for essential workers, preparing for the second phase of essential worker policies.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, stated, "The newly established shelter is an open space available to anyone who needs rest during work," and added, "Seongdong-gu will continue to implement various policies to improve the quality of life for essential workers."

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