[Born in '58 Sunja] "As a woman without rights, I formed a union against workplace prejudice"

<Feature>Women Baby Boomer Report #2
Cleaning Workers Yu Je-sun and Im Jin-sun

Ms. Sunja: A vague collection of images that come to mind when thinking of the birth cohort of women born between 1955 and 1963, and one of the most common female names of that era. She is a fictional persona created to explain these women more vividly. Although from an earlier generation, the character name of the mother played by actress Youn Yuh-jung in the film "Minari" was also Kim Sunja.

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyun-jung (Sejong), Lee Hyun-joo, Son Sun-hee (Sejong)] Yu Je-sun (65), who quit her trading company job to prepare her children for college entrance exams, started working again after nearly 10 years, this time in a "building." Upon recommendation from a close church acquaintance, Yu found employment as a cleaning worker through a job placement agency. She recalled, "I was struggling with severe menopausal depression, but once I started working again, it was so enjoyable."

Yu Jesoon, head of the LG branch of the Public Transport Workers' Union, is being interviewed at the Punglim VIP Tel building in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

However, as time passed, she began to feel the unfairness of the situation. Yu said, "The manager (supervisor) would line up 50 to 60 ladies and speak to them, and everyone would bow their heads deeply as if they had committed a crime," adding, "We lived like dead people, just saying 'yes, yes'." At that time, there was a culture where cleaning workers would cook meals or do laundry for the manager. She said, "For 5 to 6 years after starting cleaning work, I didn't feel ashamed and went to work with pride, thinking I was just doing my job," but then added, "No matter how smart or capable I was, I suddenly felt ashamed because here, I was just a 'cleaning lady.'"

Sexual harassment also occurred. When Yu confronted the issue, she was told, "You have to cut out the poisonous mushrooms," and was assigned to clean the most difficult floors. After consulting with her husband, she went to the police station to file a complaint and won the case after a two-year trial.

Yu has been outspoken since childhood. She vividly remembers questioning a teacher in elementary school who asked students to pick up stones or pine cones instead of studying, saying, "This is not our job. Why are you making us do this?" She also represented students in high school. "My father told me not to go to college because I had to teach my younger brother, so I went on a ten-day hunger strike and said I would die if I didn't go to college," she said, adding, "I cried every day and threw my school bag around, so they sent me to a junior college."

Having worked for a long time at a trading company, Yu found it hard to understand life as a cleaning worker. She said, "Back then, managers thought very little of cleaning workers," adding, "They casually ordered us to cook meals and do laundry, and if we complained, they scolded us for making a fuss."

One day, a male manager entered the women's changing room without any notice and started giving orders in a condescending tone. Yu decided she could no longer tolerate this and resolved to form a labor union to raise a clearer voice. She said, "Labor unions were seen as 'troublemakers,' so people didn't look favorably upon them, but that's not entirely true (laughs)," adding, "They do work that is indispensable for workers."

Im Jin-soon, Co-Chair of the Senior Part-Time Workers' Union (Photo provided by the individual)

Inspired by this, the average age 73 "sisters" also found strength. Recently, the "Senior Part-time Workers' Union" was established. Im Jin-soon (76), active in the Senior Part-time Workers' Union, said, "There are things the office (management) cannot do, but the union can solve them," adding, "Sometimes unfair issues get resolved." Im also said, "I am learning difficult terms while participating in union activities," and "Although I have never held a position, working together with people who clean makes me feel comfortable." Having worked as a cleaning worker for 25 years, Im said, "Nowadays, when hiring cleaning workers, people are evaluated by age rather than their abilities, so those who have their own way of working and can do well are not hired easily," adding, "I hope there are jobs suitable for seniors that allow working 2 to 3 hours a day."