Reasons for Proposal
Not only the Sinking of the Sewol Ferry, which claimed hundreds of lives and shocked Korean society in 2014, but also industrial disasters in sites employing subcontractors or part-time workers such as a screen door death in Guui Station and a death in the Taean Thermal Power Plant have continued to take place, which raises questions about the outsourcing of hazard and non-regular workers, and it is becoming necessary to preemptively respond to such problems as a burden recently increases on workers in infectious disease prevention and treatment during the spread of COVID-19.
In particular, if occupations responsible for people’s life and safety are subcontracted, or contracted for part-time or dispatched work, it is difficult for such workers to request their employer to enhance safety management, and industrial disasters, if any over the course of their work, are more serious for people in terms of size and extent. Hence, it is highly necessary to directly employ workers in such occupations.
In this regard, this Act aims to define occupations closely related to people’s life and health as life and safety occupations, directly employ workers in such occupations, and improve the level of safety management in industrial sites while preventing industrial disasters.
Details
A. Define the following as life and safety occupations: occupations related to people’s life and safety in railway, urban railway, and air transport, occupations related to the operation and supply of water, electricity, gas, and oil, ship’s personnel under the Ship Personnel Act, passenger transport drivers under the Passenger Transport Service Act, firefighting occupations under the Framework Act on Firefighting Services, and harmful or dangerous occupations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Article 2, subparagraph 1)
B. Require any person who conducts business involving life and safety occupations to directly employ workers in such occupations or subcontract only from companies that directly employ workers in such occupations, and specify that part-time workers or short-time workers can be employed in exceptional cases (Article 5)
C. Allow the Minister of Employment and Labor to order a corrective action from any person who conducts business involving life and safety occupations for any violation of Article 5, and request the submission and inspection of reporting and documentation on required matters (Articles 9 through 11)
D. Any person who conducts business involving life and safety occupations shall be subject to a fine of up to 30 million won for violating any obligations to directly employ workers in such occupations (Article 13)
