[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] On the 13th, Choi Young-ae, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, emphasized the need for efforts to eliminate blind spots in labor rights on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of martyr Jeon Tae-il.
In a statement released that day, Chairperson Choi said, "Fifty years ago, martyr Jeon Tae-il self-immolated shouting, 'Comply with the Labor Standards Act! We are not machines,'" adding, "Jeon Tae-il worked as a tailor in a sewing factory in Cheonggyecheon and fought against the labor conditions that rendered the Labor Standards Act meaningless at the time, greatly influencing the labor movement thereafter."
She further stated, "Workers have greatly contributed to economic development but have not received commensurate treatment," pointing out, "In 2019, there were 2,020 industrial accident deaths, averaging 5.5 workers dying daily from industrial accidents, which is the highest number among OECD countries."
Chairperson Choi continued, "Subcontracted workers continue to face life and safety issues due to the outsourcing of risks, and non-regular workers are subjected to constant job insecurity and discrimination," adding, "There have been successive deaths of delivery workers presumed to be from overwork, suicides due to workplace harassment, and new labor issues emerging in various sectors such as care work." She stated, "Our society must strive to establish systems that guarantee labor rights for all working people," and added, "The Human Rights Commission, which has continuously worked on improving issues such as outsourcing of risks and protection of special employment workers, will also endeavor to prepare improvement measures."
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