Jeollanam-do Focuses on Improving Human Rights and Eliminating the "Salt Farm Slave" Image

Jeollanam-do held an interim report meeting on the "Salt Farm Workers' Labor Conditions Survey" on the 14th at the Seo Jae-pil Room in the provincial government office. Provided by Jeonnam Province

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On October 14, Jeollanam-do held an interim report meeting on the "Salt Farm Workers' Labor Conditions Survey" at the Seo Jae-pil Room in the provincial government office, where they shared the progress and results of the survey to date and discussed practical measures to improve the working environment at salt farms.

Approximately 20 participants attended the meeting, including officials from Jeollanam-do, relevant departments of Yeonggwang County and Shinan County, the Mokpo Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, Jeonnam Human Rights Commission, and Jeonnam Research Institute. They reviewed the progress and key findings of the survey and exchanged a variety of opinions on how to improve working conditions in the future.

The survey, which has been conducted by the Jeonnam Research Institute since April, aims to accurately identify the status of human rights violations among salt farm workers in the province and to establish a policy foundation for improving their working environment. The survey targets both workers and employers through interviews and in-depth discussions, and will continue until November.

The main topics of the survey include: ▲ employment channels for salt farm workers ▲ living and working conditions ▲ wage payment practices ▲ the existence of human rights violations, with a focus on field-based research methods to closely examine the actual treatment of workers.

Park Youngchae, Director of the Oceans and Fisheries Bureau of Jeollanam-do, stated, "To eradicate cases of human rights violations against salt farm workers and to improve their negative image, it is essential to analyze the root causes and establish field-oriented policies. We will continue to do our utmost to develop practical measures to protect the human rights of salt farm workers and improve their working environment."

Since the occurrence of a human rights violation case in 2021, Jeollanam-do has continued its efforts to prevent recurrence and strengthen oversight by supplementing relevant systems and inspecting worksites. The province is also implementing various policies to protect workers' rights and improve labor conditions, such as operating "on-site human rights education" programs and supporting "safe accommodations and shelters for salt farm workers."

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