[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] A petition opposing Incheon International Airport Corporation's decision to directly employ 1,902 security screening personnel as security guards has received more than 200,000 signatures on the Blue House website, meeting the government's response threshold.
On the 24th, a national petition titled "Stop the Regularization of Non-Regular Workers in Public Enterprises" on the Blue House petition board had garnered 201,662 signatures as of 8:06 PM that day.
The petitioner stated, "Many public enterprises have undergone non-regular worker regularization so far. However, this conversion at Incheon International Airport is shocking," adding, "Incheon Airport is a company where passing the document screening requires high TOEIC scores and qualifications. Is it fair to convert everyone without even taking a test, let alone having similar qualifications?"
They continued, "More people have been converted to regular employees than the number of regular staff. These people will consume the labor union and the company, and the company will become a place for them," questioning, "What crime have the job seekers who study and build qualifications to enter here, as well as current employees, committed?"
Furthermore, they said, "Even jobs that used to hire temporary workers like part-timers have become regular positions, receiving the same wages and benefits as existing regular employees," adding, "This is not equality. It is reverse discrimination and a greater misfortune for the youth."
Earlier, controversy arose when a screenshot of an open chat room for employees working at Incheon Airport Corporation was shared on major job communities.
In the screenshot, one user said, "I returned as a security officer part-timer and now I am becoming a regular employee at Incheon International Airport Corporation (In-guk-gong)," adding, "Suddenly, I became equivalent to Seoul National University level."
As posts implying that one could earn an annual salary of 50 million won without much effort to get a job spread, job seekers expressed outrage.
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