[Summary] "Is This Equality?" Opposition to 'InGukGong' Regular Positions, 200,000 Signatures on Blue House Petition

Youth Outraged Over Incheon Airport Corporation's Decision to Directly Employ Security Screening Staff

Photo by Cheongwadae National Petition Board capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that it will directly employ about 1,900 non-regular security screening staff, a Blue House petition appealing to stop the regularization of non-regular workers in public institutions has gained the support of 200,000 people. As of 6:30 a.m. on the 25th, this petition had 217,895 supporters.

The petitioner stated, "Even jobs that were hired on a fixed-term basis like part-time work have become regular positions, and within that, by protesting, they receive the same wages and benefits as existing regular employees." They added, "In the midst of this, the recent transition at Incheon International Airport is truly shocking."

They further argued, "After non-regular workers were converted to regular positions at Korea Railroad Corporation, the number of office and sales recruitments decreased," and claimed, "This is not equality but reverse discrimination, and it is a greater misfortune for young people."

Additionally, on the Blue House petition board, petitions such as 'Is the unconditional regularization of non-regular workers at Incheon International Airport Corporation equality?', 'Please revert the direct employment and regularization of Incheon Airport Corporation’s security guards to the starting point.', and 'Stop the regularization of non-regular workers when opportunities are not equal' have been posted.

Earlier, on the 22nd, Incheon International Airport Corporation declared 'zero non-regular workers' and announced that about 1,900 security screening personnel belonging to partner companies would be converted to direct employment by the corporation. This decision has sparked opposition among existing corporation employees and job seekers.

Hwang Deok-sun, Senior Secretary for Jobs, is giving a briefing on employment trends at the Blue House in September last year. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding this, Hwang Deok-soon, Senior Secretary for Jobs at the Blue House, appeared on KBS Radio on the 24th and said about the controversy over the regularization of about 1,900 non-regular security screening workers at Incheon International Airport Corporation, "This is not about taking jobs away from young people but rather an effort to increase them," adding, "It actually opens up a great opportunity for those who wish to apply to (Incheon International Airport Corporation)."

Hwang said, "From the perspective of young people, they are preparing hard for employment and may misunderstand that non-regular workers are suddenly pushing into the positions they are aiming for," and explained, "The jobs being converted to regular positions now are not the regular jobs that job seekers have been preparing for, but the conversion of existing security screening workers to regular positions."

Regarding the security screening workers' annual salary, he said, "It is not 50 million won, but they currently receive about 33 million won, which is expected to rise slightly to about 35 million won."

In particular, addressing concerns that large-scale regularization might prevent hiring regular employees of that scale, he said, "Since our government took office, the number of regular jobs in public institutions has increased by more than 50%."

He continued, "Now that those who worked for service companies are being converted to regular positions, in the long term, the opportunities for young people to enter will also increase." Especially, he said, "Among the 1,900 security screening workers, half joined after May 2017, when President Moon Jae-in promised regularization, so they must go through a public recruitment process," adding, "For those who wish to apply, this is actually a very big opportunity."

A post of the so-called 'Broken Pen Movement' opposing the regularization of non-regular workers at Incheon International Airport Corporation. Photo by Gong Junmo, screenshot of the post

As the petition to stop the regularization of non-regular workers surpassed 200,000 supporters, some young people are showing collective action on social media such as Twitter, calling for the so-called 'Broken Pen Movement.'

The 'Broken Pen Movement' is interpreted as an act where examinees preparing for public service exams and others aiming for employment, feeling relative deprivation due to this controversy and protesting reverse discrimination, break their writing instruments they were using to study.

On the previous day (24th), a member of the 'Gathering of People Preparing for Public Enterprises' (Gongjunmo) cafe posted an article titled 'Broken Pen Movement. Regarding Reverse Discrimination at Incheon International Airport Corporation,' stating, "From the perspective of job seekers, no matter how much I think about it, I believe this Incheon International Airport incident should not be overlooked," and proposed the 'Broken Pen Movement.' The cafe has 555,508 members.

On the morning of January 2nd, at a civil service exam academy located in Noryangjin, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, examinees are deeply focused on their studies. Photo by Seulgi Kim, Intern Reporter sabiduriakim@asiae.co.kr

The author pointed out, "If the non-regular workers are converted to regular positions as is in this Incheon International Airport Corporation incident, the damage will inevitably extend to other job seekers," adding, "The number of positions at Incheon International Airport Corporation will naturally decrease, and those who were preparing for Incheon International Airport Corporation will apply to other public enterprises, which will definitely cause a blow." Cafe members responded positively to the 'Broken Pen Movement' proposal with comments like "I agree" and "I support it."

Meanwhile, as the number of supporters for the petition opposing the regularization of non-regular workers in public enterprises exceeded 200,000, an official response from the Blue House will be issued. If a petition posted on the Blue House website receives more than 200,000 supporters within a month, the Blue House is required to provide an official response.