"'In-guk-gong' Issue's Essence is Inequality"
"Non-regular Worker Problem Must Be Solved Institutionally"
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Joo-hee] Ryu Ho-jeong, a member of the Justice Party, criticized Ha Tae-kyung, a member of the United Future Party, for proposing the "Lotto Employment Prevention Act" regarding the controversy over the conversion of security screening workers at Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) to regular positions, saying it "avoids the core issue."
In an interview with KBS Radio's "Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs" on the 30th, Representative Ryu said, "The issue of irregular workers is a problem related to inequality that pervades our society," adding, "It is not right to ignore this and promote a very provocative name like the 'Lotto Employment Prevention Act' as a seasonal business."
Regarding Ha's statement that "the conversion to regular positions should be withdrawn," Ryu said, "It is a very wrong statement," and criticized, "If the conversion of irregular workers to regular positions is defined as an antisocial crime that disrupts community order, who can be happy? The conflicts of the younger generation should not be used as a tool for political strife or as grounds for criticizing the government."
She continued, "The younger generation has lived in a world where they are taught that once their university or workplace is decided, it is natural to become a class without even having the leisure to look around or consider what they want," and pointed out, "A world where those who have more get even more, and those who have nothing barely endure. A world that exploits and yet claims it as innovation. The problem is a world that cleverly separates this anger, which should be directed at the top 1%, and induces a sense of deprivation by making people see another version of themselves around them who might be struggling just as hard."
Representative Ryu argued that the issue of irregular workers should be resolved institutionally. She said, "The reality of irregular labor today is the result of over ten years of deterioration of irregular worker laws, pro-chaebol government’s pro-business labor policies, and the National Assembly’s passive stance," and emphasized, "We must eradicate the practice of using irregular workers just to pay a little less salary and cut out illegal dispatch and indirect employment, which have become like a black market for irregular workers."
She added, "We need to legislate the principle of direct employment of regular workers for continuous and ongoing work and strictly limit the reasons for using irregular workers to block the indiscriminate production and spread of irregular employment."
Earlier, the United Future Party proposed the "Lotto Employment Prevention Act" on the same day regarding the controversy over the conversion of IIAC workers to regular positions.
Representative Ha took the lead as the main proposer, and 21 other members, including those from the "Research Lab for the Youth of Today," a study group of United Future Party lawmakers addressing youth issues, joined as co-proposers.
The "Lotto Employment Prevention Act" requires public enterprises, public institutions, and local public enterprises like IIAC to disclose their hiring procedures and methods and mandate open competitive examinations when recruiting employees. It also includes provisions to prohibit special preferential hiring of employees' families, union members, and acquaintances.
Representative Ha said, "I am not opposed to the conversion of irregular workers to regular positions, but the 'principle' must be reestablished," and argued, "The principle of converting irregular workers to regular positions is that the position is converted, but the person should not be automatically converted and must undergo open competition."
He added, "In an era of absolute job scarcity, it is a clear foul and privilege for a specific group to monopolize regular positions," and criticized, "The Moon Jae-in government and the Democratic Party have brought despair to the youth with the 'IIAC Lotto Regularization.'"
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