Kim Jong Jin speaks groundbreaking labor administration of South Korean capital

 

 On Feb. 14, KIM JONG JIN, research fellow of Korean Labor and Society Institute, spoke at a symposium titled, “New challenge of labor policy, labor administration of a city: Seoul,” at Ryukoku University in Kyoto City. Approximately 40 people including researchers, lawyers and union officials participated in the day of lectures and question-and-answer sessions, in which almost whole of Seoul City's revolutionary labor administration was revealed. The participants who heard about it for the first time appeared considerably shocked. Since taking office in October 2011, Park Won Soon, mayor of Seoul, has implemented ordinance one after another, such as direct employment of the non-regular workers in the public sector, converting non-regular status to a permanent one, labor rights advocacy, living wage (a guaranteed living wage that is higher than the minimum wage), emotional labor, and worker management (director) participation. From April this year, a 40-hour work week will be tested out with an aim to implement it in 2020. It will be implemented if concerned labor unions such as Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) reach an agreement after half a year of discussion. (By SHIRAISHI Takashi)

ソウル市の画期的な労働行政を学ぶ～金鐘珍研究委員が来日

２月１４日、京都市の龍谷大学で、韓国労働社会研究所金鐘珍（キム・ジョンジン/

写真左）研究委員による「労働政策の新たな挑戦、都市の労働行政：ソウル市」が開

催されました。研究者、弁護士、労組関係者など40人ほどが参加、全一日かけて、講

義とコメント、質疑をじっくりと行い、ソウル市の画期的な労働行政の全容が、ほぼ

明らかにされました。初めて聞く参加者には、相当な衝撃が走ったようです。2011年

10月の市長就任以降、公共部門の非正規労働者の直接雇用＋無期転換をはじめ、労働

者権利擁護、生活賃金（最賃以上に生活出来る賃金を保障）、感情労働、労働者経営

(理事）参加などの条例を次々と実施、今年4月からは完全週40時間労働制を2020年実

施に向けた試行にも入ります。これに関しては、民主労総、韓国労総など関係労組と

半年かけて協議、合意してのスタートです。（白石孝）