Korea Federation of SMEs Holds '2024 1st Textile Industry Committee Meeting'

Appeal for System Improvement to Prevent Foreign Workers from Leaving Workplaces

The Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (Kbiz) announced on the 8th that it held the '2024 1st Textile Industry Committee Meeting' at the Kbiz headquarters in Yeouido. The Textile Industry Committee was formed to devise countermeasures for strengthening industrial competitiveness and growth for small and medium enterprises related to the textile industry, such as fashion collars, fabrics, and knits.

The meeting began with an explanation of the 'Employment Permit System and Foreign Workforce Utilization System' by Yang Dong-cheol, Head of Regional Cooperation at the Seoul Regional Employment and Labor Office. Starting with an overview of the general Employment Permit System (E-9), explanations were given regarding the scale of foreign workforce introduction in 2024, the number of allowable employees per workplace, and employment methods. Information was also provided on foreign worker residency support systems and on-site consulting projects available for SMEs.

During the subsequent issue discussion, committee members expressed concerns that many textile SMEs employ foreign workers but face numerous problems due to high labor costs and frequent workplace departures. They urged for ▲an increase in the foreign worker introduction quota ▲tax and other penalties on salary income when illegal foreign workers leave the country ▲and the rationalization of standards for deductions on lodging and meal expenses.

Gu Hong-rim, Chairman of the Textile Industry Committee, stated, “Last year, as a result of the committee’s united efforts to resolve industry issues, we not only achieved the significant accomplishment of designating the textile industry as a root industry but also made many improvements in environmental regulations, such as easing the registration standards for new chemical substances under the Chemical Substances Control Act, differentiating the periodic inspection cycles under the Chemical Control Act, and expanding the scope of waste disposal charge reductions.” He added, “We will continue to address pressing industry issues such as labor shortages and develop policies and systems to strengthen the competitiveness of the textile industry.”

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