Most Workers Left Out of Social Safety Nets
Serious Issues Include Long Working Hours and Wage Arrears
Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, criticized Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, on May 15 regarding his pledge to strengthen support for K-content, stating, "There is a high possibility that this will lead only to capital's profits while infringing on labor rights."
Kwon Youngguk, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Labor Party, is giving a speech. Democratic Labor Party
In a statement released on this day, Kwon said, "Content workers spend more than four months on average each year in unemployment and are in a blind spot when it comes to social safety nets such as employment insurance," adding, "Cases of losing jobs due to sudden contract terminations or recommended resignations are also frequent. Long working hours, such as 30-hour consecutive filming sessions, are widespread, and serious problems include wages below the minimum wage, unpaid wages, and non-payment of overtime, night, and holiday work allowances."
Kwon also stated, "Because of the multi-tiered subcontracting structure, it is difficult to communicate with broadcasters and production companies, and responsibility is unclear, making it hard for workers to seek remedies when labor rights are violated." He emphasized, "We will protect 15 million precarious workers by fully applying the Labor Standards Act."
Kwon declared, "We will start by ensuring job security for workers and protecting the rights of creators," and continued, "Rather than a profit-centered solution for a handful of high-earning cast members and workers, we will begin by enhancing the rights of the vast majority of staff members."
Kwon was selected as the candidate by the Presidential Election Solidarity for Social Transformation, which is composed of the Justice Party, Labor Party, Green Party, and civil society organizations. The Justice Party earned more than 3% in the proportional representation election for metropolitan council members in the 2022 local elections, thus qualifying to participate in TV debates. Kwon, formerly a dismissed worker at Poongsan Metal, passed the bar exam in 1999 and has since been active in the labor field, including as a legal representative for Ssangyong Motor's mass layoffs. His key pledges include: ▲ electoral system reform ▲ amendment of Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act ▲ a citizen minimum income of 1 million won ▲ and the introduction of a super-wealth tax for the top 0.1%.
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