NHRCK (Chairperson Hyun Byung Chul) has held a final report session of the <Status Report on Human Rights of Migrant Workers in Agro-livestock Industry> on Tuesday, October 15th, 2013 on the 10th floor of the Annex Building of the NHRCK Human Rights Education Center from 14:30 to 17:30. In this conference, Status Analysis Team (Solidarity with Migrants) has presented its final report on its survey (2013. 4. 3. ~ 2013. 10. 2.) and invited Park Min Sun (Director of Nonghyup University School-Industry Cooperation Center), Chung Jung Hoon (Saram Law Firm, Lawyer), and Oh Kyung Suk (Director of the Gyeonggido Institute of Research and Policy Development for Migrants' Human Rights) along with other experts in the field to share their views.
The survey has revealed that many migrant workers enter the agro-livestock industry under worse conditions than those in the manufacturing sector for quick employment. Most migrants work in the agro-livestock industry either because they could not enter the manufacturing industry or they failed to obtain a minimum score of 120 out of 200 in a Korean language examination.
Monitoring on nonfulfillment of employment contracts in the agro-livestock sector for migrant workers should be strengthened, due to the fact that many are subject to overwork, are not provided with copies of contracts, or enter into contracts without full understanding of the document.
Majority of the migrant workers in the industry receive less payment than the minimum wage standards, while only a minimal portion of them receive payment for overwork.
There is a strong demand to move to other workplace among migrant workers in the agro-livestock industry. However, many of them face difficulties doing so because their employers oppose the idea or they are not aware of the procedures. Only a minimal number of worker are satisfied with their work in the industry.
The reasons for those who have moved away from the agro-livestock industry ranges from excessive working hours, low wage, verbal assault and violence by employers, dire working conditions, to sexual harassment.
Also, many of the migrants have experience of being sent illegally by employers to other workplace to work without proper permit. The employers have sent them to other workplace without their consent; without informing them of what kind of work they will be doing; and without providing them any knowledge about the employers in the workplace to which they are being sent.
They live under harsh living conditions in which many dormitories do not have proper locks for restrooms and bedrooms, and are exposed to easy access by employers and other people. Female workers face particular challenge in this regard.
Moreover, many migrant workers have experienced injuries during the course of their work, due to excessive workload and without proper safety equipments. However, only a few of them receive medical support from their employers for industrial injuries, and many of them have to pay for their own medical care. Despite the fact that all migrant workers engaged in agro-livestock industry are obligated to sign up to health insurances, those who have signed up to it comprise only a minimal portion of the entire migrant worker population in the industry.
Most of the migrant workers in the agro-livestock industry was subject to verbal assault from their employers, with some of them even exposed to violence. Many of them who were assaulted did not have much alternative to address the situation, and therefore were compelled to stay quiet. Also, female ratio in the agro-livestock industry marks above 30%, a relatively high figure compared to other sectors, which shows severe vulnerability of women engaged in the industry to forms of sexual assault. Many female migrant workers have either witnessed or experienced sexual harassment.
Reporting System for Absence without Leave, which obligates employers to report if a migrant worker is absent for work without leave for more than 5 days, is abused by employers to threaten migrant workers because this system can be utilized without having to provide sound reasoning.
Most of the migrant workers feel they are being discriminated, based on reasons varying from 'late or low wage', 'excessive workload' to 'verbal assault'.
Based on the aforementioned findings, the final reports has provided proposals to alleviate the situation concerning the employment procedures of migrant workers in the agro-livestock sector, signing contracts, low wage and long working hours, shifting workplace, illegal employment and dispatch, accommodation, industrial accidents, and Reporting System for Absence without Leave.
