February 26th, during the time to introduce yourself at the orientation camp for freshmen. “I’m Kim Eun-ha, and I work at the Labor Union for Part-Timers,” I say.

 

At age twenty, my first experience in the larger world was with the “Labor Union for Part-Timers.” Many people are biased against me when I say I work at the labor union. It doesn’t help that the general perception towards labor unions are not good in our society. Nevertheless, I have a reason why I must do such work.

 

▲ We did street campaigns arguing for “a 10,000 won minimum wage,” and to “reduce working hours.” ©Labor Union for Part-Timers, Sungkonghoe University Branch

Looking at my mom, who used to be a temporary worker

 

My mom was a big influence on my decision to work in the labor union. She started working when I was in my first year of middle school. Like most of women who have intermittent careers, my mom had to pass through many jobs as a temporary worker. She endured unstable working conditions in places including a school cafeteria (1 year), a tomato sorting facility (2 months), a yogurt producing factory (2 ½ years), and  a research center (short-term worker, 6 months).

 

The problem started 2 years after she had started working in the yogurt factory. Even though she was doing the same work, she received less pay than men, and less than the permanent workers. Despite frequently having to work overtime at night and working on the weekends, she endured it out of the hope of becoming a permanent worker. Then, she couldn’t take it any longer and demanded to see a document stating her hourly wage. The company refused, saying, “There is no such thing.”

 

Even while making her work extended hours without advance notice, they didn’t pay her overtime wages or weekend wages. Even worse, at times they increased the workday to 24 consecutive hours. Mom worked for 2 years as a temporary worker and did become a permanent worker, but the treatment was the same. In the end, she quit without being able to receive any kind of severance pay from the company. There were no organizations within the company to demand workers’ rights, and the coercive attitude of the company silenced the workers.

 

There was no way for me to help my mom. I was busy taking care of myself. When I was worn out from the inconsolable anger and endless sense of helplessness, I saw an Internet article saying that a labor union for part-timers had been established. That was in August 2013, when I was a senior in high school. “A labor union for part-timers, for what?” I thought, but it also occurred to me that since part-timers were also workers, it was only right that they claim their rights through labor unions. I decided to start working at the labor union for part-timers, even if it was just to lessen this large sense of helplessness.

 

Thinking of the fact that my mom had been an unstable temporary worker, and that I would soon be working as a temporary worker myself led me to become more interested in the area. Unbelievably, I found myself traveling to Seoul and working in the labor union for part-timers.

 

I want to improve working conditions, even if just a little

 

A lot of the time, people think part-time work is a “pastime activity,” or “work done in one’s leftover time.” However, society is becoming polarized, and part-time work is no longer a pastime activity but work that is done in order to make a living. University students have no choice but to be shuffled through numerous part-time jobs in order to pay tuition, living expenses, and rent, which are not getting any cheaper. I’m in the same situation. Living in Seoul upon leaving South Chungcheong, the bills, starting with my dormitory expenses, cannot be ignored.

 

The work I’m mainly in charge of at the labor union is to distribute leaflets saying, “Part-timers are workers, too,” “Set the minimum wage at 10,000 won,” “Basic income for all,” and “Reduce working hours,” and also to collect signatures for petitions.

 

Sometimes, I get tired. In April, I was doing a campaign to increase the minimum wage to 10,000 won near the “pedestrian-friendly street” of the Hongik University area. I could see people in their 20s, lovers with their arms linked, wearing pretty clothes, walking the streets of the Hongik University area. I approached some of them and requested their signature to support the movement, saying, “We are creating a petition to double the minimum wage.” Some people signed immediately, but most of the people passed by me with a smirk. Some people even got mad.

 

They all said, “This will never change, so why are you doing this work for nothing?” However, when I think of the working conditions that might get better, even just a little bit, I can’t stop doing this work. Doing campaigns in my school is the same. People passing by often say, “Are you trying to stir up trouble? Are you selling something?” Even though I hear things like this, I am happy, and I am enjoying the present moment, because I believe that the world will change little by little.

 

The reality of part-timers that work without even receiving minimum wages

 

I worked in one of several “Part-timer Day Fieldwork Teams” for the month leading up to International Workers Day on May 1st. We went out to personally meet many part-timers. On April 30th, all of the Part-timer Day Fieldwork Teams got together and held a press conference to announce their findings on the realities of part-time work. I could not repress my astonishment on seeing the results. Although they said it had gotten better since last year, the percentage of businesses that drew up labor contracts for their part-time workers was still only 60%.

 

In addition, many of the part-timers working near the universities were receiving 3,500 won per hour, wages that were far below the minimum wage of 5,210 won. The Ministry of Employment and Labor that should be monitoring businesses and making an effort to build a stable working environment was not doing its job.

 

I do not think that I will be able to get a stable job. I might have to wander through an unstable labor market for my whole life. But if I don’t get disheartened because I can’t see the future in the work I do or because the achievement our goals seems too far off, but feel pride and a sense of achievement in my work with the union, I think I can comfort myself.

 

I also think that if I regard the work I’m doing and myself as being “meant to meet,” then I might develop more affection towards this work. I was meant to meet the labor union for part-timers, and because of the many people who are also walking beside me, I think I’ll be able to make my way down these dark paths.

 

Published: May 9, 2014

Translated by Rose

Original Article: https://www.ildaro.com/6672

 

◆ To see more English-language articles from Ilda, visit our English blog(https://ildaro.blogspot.com).

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