Naju City in Jeollanam-do announced on the 16th that it has been selected for the Ministry of Employment and Labor’s “Platform Workers Workplace Improvement Support” public project, securing 100 million KRW in national funding to install a dedicated rest area for mobile workers in Bitgaram Innovation City.
This project aims to provide a minimum safe labor environment for mobile workers.
Although the number of platform workers such as substitute drivers and delivery drivers is steadily increasing nationwide, many work under vulnerable conditions without separate rest areas or safety protection measures.
In particular, the Naju area is characterized by a large number of mobile workers who operate as metropolitan drivers traveling between cities and provinces due to its proximity to Gwangju Metropolitan City’s transportation infrastructure.
Accordingly, the average waiting time after long-distance travel work was found to exceed 2 hours.
According to the “Mobile Workers Labor Condition Survey” conducted last year by the Naju City Labor Counseling Center, the average individual waiting time for work among mobile workers in the jurisdiction was about 2 hours and 21 minutes for substitute drivers and about 2 hours and 3 minutes for delivery drivers.
In the same survey, mobile workers identified the installation of rest facilities for resting, eating, and sleeping during waiting times as the top priority local government project.
The city received high evaluations by proposing the establishment of a rest area (tentatively named Himina Naju) equipped with rest and education rooms, as well as the operation of legal and health counseling programs in this public project.
With the project selection, the green light has been given to fulfill the campaign pledge of “installing rest areas for mobile workers,” a promise made to citizens during the 8th term of the elected administration.
The rest area is scheduled to be installed in July in the commercial center of Bitgaram Innovation City, covering approximately 120㎡. It will provide a comfortable resting space for mobile workers, equipped with a lounge, separate sleeping rooms for men and women, an education room, and essential appliances such as heating and cooling systems.
Additionally, customized counseling services for mobile workers will be provided quarterly, including guidance on responding to traffic accidents, finance, daily legal matters, diagnosis and exercise prescriptions for musculoskeletal disorders, and smoking cessation clinics.
Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, “Through the project selection, the creation of a rest area to improve the welfare, health, and self-esteem of mobile workers, a pledge of the 8th term administration, will be realized. We will do our best to ensure that the rest area functions not only as a simple resting place but also as a community and cultural welfare space for workers through customized welfare programs.”
Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
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