Human Rights Commission, "Central Administrative Agencies Must Improve Working Conditions Including Wage Standards for 'Mugigyeyakjik' (Indefinite-Term Contract Workers)"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] On the 2nd, the National Human Rights Commission recommended the Ministers of Employment and Labor and Strategy and Finance to improve the treatment and secure the budget for enhancing labor rights of indefinite-term contract workers in central administrative agencies.

The Commission pointed out that although the government's 2017 'Guidelines for the Conversion of Non-Regular Workers in the Public Sector to Regular Workers' contributed to employment stability for workers, the actual improvement in working conditions, including treatment of the approximately 44,000 indefinite-term contract workers in central administrative agencies since its implementation, has been insufficient.

In particular, the Commission referred to the 2017 survey results which showed that even when indefinite-term contract workers perform the same or similar duties as public officials, there are gaps in wages and allowances, and wage differences exist among institutions depending on the types of allowances and collective bargaining contents. It explained that the lack of a rational personnel and labor management system is the underlying cause.

To resolve these issues, the Commission recommended the government to ▲establish reasonable wage standards in line with the principle of equal pay for equal work ▲set reasonable standards for welfare benefit payments ▲establish dedicated departments or organizations for personnel and labor management of indefinite-term contract workers ▲prepare standards for budgeting and executing wages for indefinite-term contract workers. It also emphasized efforts to secure necessary funding.

The Commission stated, "We hope that the working conditions of indefinite-term contract workers in central administrative agencies will improve and that their basic human rights as workers will be guaranteed."