Firms breaching labor rules to face direct sanctions

The Ministry of Employment and Labor is pushing for a law revision to make company owners who violate the labor standards law subject to immediate punishment.

Under the current law, warnings precede sanctions on the rule-violators. Further, businesses that correct their irregular practices are generally granted a pardon from authorities despite revelations from labor superintendents.

As the present system has been regarded as nominal and ineffectual, the National Assembly and labor advocates have called on the government to reinforce regulatory rules.

Officials at the Labor Ministry said it is holding a series of public hearings on mapping out the motion on strengthening both the oversight system and disciplinary rules.

From as early as the second half, company owners who breach the labor standards law may be punished as soon as their irregularities are detected by superintendents dispatched to workplaces, said an official.

Data from the ministry showed that businesses have often tended to abuse the rights of migrant workers ― 3 out of every 10 businesses that hire migrant workers were found to have breached the law on their employment over the past few years.

Rep. Jasmine Lee of the ruling Saenuri Party stressed that a large portion of violations have been related to unfair treatment of migrant workers.

By Kim Yon-se (kys@heraldcorp.com)

<ⓒKoreaHerald(www.koreaherald.com)무단전재 및 재배포 금지>