October, 20 2009, 10:19am EDT
![Amnesty International - USA](https://assets.rbl.ms/32012686/origin.png)
For Immediate Release
Contact:
AIUSA media office,Email:,media@aiusa.org,Phone: 202-544-0200 x302
In New Report, Amnesty International Calls on South Korea to Cease Mistreatment of Migrant Workers
Many migrant workers in South
Korea are beaten, trafficked for sexual exploitation, and denied wages
for long periods of time, despite the introduction of rules to protect
their rights, said Amnesty International in a report issued today.
WASHINGTON
Many migrant workers in South
Korea are beaten, trafficked for sexual exploitation, and denied wages
for long periods of time, despite the introduction of rules to protect
their rights, said Amnesty International in a report issued today.
In the 98-page report, Disposable Labor:
Rights of Migrant Workers in South Korea, Amnesty International documents
the dangerous and unjust working conditions that many migrant workers are
forced into. According to the report, migrant workers often operate heavy
machinery and handle dangerous chemicals without receiving sufficient training
or protective equipment. As a result, they are at greater risk of industrial
accidents, including fatalities. To make matters worse, they often receive
less pay compared to native South Korean workers.
"Migrant workers are vulnerable to abuse
and exploitation largely because they cannot change jobs without their
employer's permission," said Roseann Rife, deputy director of Amnesty
International's Asia-Pacific program. "Work conditions are sometimes
so bad that they run away and, consequently, lose their regular status
and are then subject to arrest and deportation."
South Korea was one of the first Asian countries
to legally recognize the rights of migrant workers with the Employment
Permit System (EPS), which was meant to better protect the rights of migrant
workers. This granted them the same status as Korean workers, with equal
labor rights, pay, and benefits.
However, five years after its implementation,
many continue to face hardships and abuse.
In September 2008, there were an estimated
220,000 irregular migrant workers in the country.
The government of South Korea pledged to
halve this number by 2012, launching a massive and sometimes violent crackdown
on migrant workers. Immigration officers and the police are accused on
occasion of using excessive force against migrant workers and operating
outside the law.
Disposable Labor documents how the
South Korean government has not sufficiently monitored workplaces, with
high numbers of accidents, inadequate medical treatment and compensation,
and unfair dismissals.
Amnesty International interviewed migrant
workers who described how their employers forced them to work long hours
and night shifts, without overtime pay. The employers would often withhold
their wages as well.
"Despite the advances of the EPS, the cycle
of abuse and mistreatment continues as thousands of migrant workers
find themselves at the mercy of employers and the authorities who mistreat
them knowing their victims have few legal rights and are unable to access
justice or seek compensation for the abuse," said Rife.
Amnesty International's research shows that
women are at particular risk of abuse. Several female workers recruited
as singers in US military camp towns have been trafficked into sexual exploitation,
including the sex industry, by their employers and managers.
Amnesty International spoke to trafficked
women who said they had no choice but to remain in their jobs because they
were in debt to their employer and did not know where to turn for help.
If the women ran away, they risked losing their legal status and
being subject to deportation.
"These women are double victims," said
Rife. "First they are trafficked and then they become "illegal" migrants
under South Korean law when they attempt to escape from their exploitative
situation."
Amnesty International calls on the government
of South Korea:
* To
ensure that employers respect, protect and promote the rights of migrant
workers through rigorous labor inspections, so that the workplace is safe,
training is provided and migrant workers are paid fairly and on time.
- To
protect and promote the rights of all female migrant workers and stamp
out sexual harassment and sexual exploitation. - To
allow irregular migrant workers to remain in South Korea while accessing
justice and seeking compensation for abuses by employees. - To
ensure that during immigration raids, immigration authorities adhere to
South Korean law requiring them to identify themselves, present a warrant,
caution and inform migrant workers of their rights, and provide those under
their custody prompt medical treatment when needed or requested.
Background:
Disposable Labor contains the testimony
of 60 migrant workers along with staff from shelters, migrant centers,
NGOs, factory workers and managers, piecing together evidence of an exploitative
system that fails to uphold individual human rights. Interviews were carried
out in 11 cities throughout the country.
Case studies:
KN, a 34-year-old Sri Lankan male migrant
worker, worked at a factory making shipping parts in Jinae, South Gyeongsang
province. When a 150kg metal pipe fell on him, he broke five toes
and two fingers. Although he needed to be hospitalized for two months,
his employer came to the hospital after 12 days and threatened to fire
him if he did not return to work. He did not even give KN time to
change out of his hospital clothes. Living on the second floor, KN
had difficulty getting around because there were no lifts. His leg
hurt so much that he could barely stand. Infuriated with KN, his
employer dragged KN to the immigration office where he cancelled his work
visa.
FJ, a 37-year-old Filipino female migrant
worker, was recruited as a singer but was trafficked into sexual exploitation
at a nightclub in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi province. During her first
week, her employer brought his friends to the nightclub and locked her
and another woman in a room with them and left. His friends demanded
to have sex with the women but they refused. When FJ later complained
to her employer, he just yelled at her and threatened to send her back
to the Philippines.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning
grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters,
activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human
rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates
and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice,
freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
# # #
To receive the full report, Disposable
Labor: Rights of Migrant Workers in South Korea, please e-mail media@aiusa.org.
For more information, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
(212) 807-8400LATEST NEWS
'Tragic Outcome' for Gig Workers as California Supreme Court Hands Win to Uber, DoorDash
"Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers," the case plaintiff said.
Jul 25, 2024
Labor advocates on Thursday decried a ruling by the California Supreme Court upholding a lower court's affirmation of a state ballot measure allowing app-based ride and delivery companies to classify their drivers as independent contractors, limiting their worker rights.
The court's seven justices ruled unanimously in Castellanos v. State of California that Proposition 22, which was approved by 58% of California voters in 2020, complies with the state constitution. Prop 22—which was overturned in 2021 by an Alameda County Superior Court judge in 2021—was upheld in March 2023 by the state's 1st District Court of Appeals.
The business models of app-based companies including DoorDash, Instacart, Lyft, and Uber rely upon minimizing frontline worker compensation by categorizing drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Independent contractors are not entitled to unemployment insurance, health insurance, or compensation for business expenses.
There are approximately 1.4 million app-based gig workers in California, according to industry estimates.
While DoorDash hailed Thursday's ruling as "not only a victory for Dashers, but also for democracy itself," gig worker advocates condemned the decision.
"Over the last three years, gig workers across California have experienced firsthand that Prop 22 is nothing more than a bait-and-switch meant to enrich global corporations at the expense of the Black, brown, and immigrant workers who power their earnings," plaintiff Hector Castellanos, who drives for Uber and Lyft, said in a statement.
"Prop 22 has allowed gig companies like Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash to deprive us of a living wage, access to workers compensation, paid sick leave, and meaningful healthcare coverage," Castellanos added. "Today's ruling only strengthens our demand for the right to join together in a union so that we can begin improving the gig economy for workers and our customers."
Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, AFL-CIO, said that "we are deeply disappointed that the state Supreme Court has allowed tech corporations to buy their way out of basic labor laws despite Proposition 22's inconsistencies with our state constitution."
"These companies have upended our social contract, forcing workers and the public to take on the inherent risk created by this work, while they profit," she continued. "A.B. 5 granted virtually all California workers the right to be paid for all hours worked, health and safety standards, unemployment insurance, workers compensation, and the right to organize."
"Rideshare and delivery drivers deserve those rights as well," Gonzalez stressed.
The Gig Workers Rising campaign said on social media that "Uber and other app corporations spent $220 million to buy this law, and they did it by tricking Californians."
Prop 22's passage in November 2020 with nearly 59% of the vote was the culmination of what was by far the most expensive ballot measure in California history. App-based companies and their backers outspent labor and progressive groups by more than 10 to 1, with proponents pouring a staggering $204.5 million into the "yes" campaign's coffers against just $19 million for the "no" side.
"Voters were told the initiative would provide us with 'historic new benefits' and guaranteed earnings," said Gig Workers Rising. "But since it went into effect, drivers have seen our pay go down, learned the benefits are a sham, and have to accept unsafe rides because of the constant threat of being 'deactivated,' kicked off the app with little explanation or warning."
"If Uber really cared about good benefits and fair wages, it could make that happen tomorrow," the campaign added. "Instead, it has shown it would rather slash pay, bamboozle voters, and put drivers' lives and livelihoods in danger—all while promising $7 billion in stock buybacks to banks and billionaires."
Veena Dubal, a law professor at the University of California, Irvine who focuses on labor and inequality, toldCalMatters that Thursday's ruling was "a really tragic outcome," but "it's not the end of the road."
Dubal's sentiment was echoed by some California state legislators, who said the ruling presents an opportunity to act.
"While this decision is frustrating, it must also be motivating," said state Senate Labor Committee Chair Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-28). "I'm more determined than ever to ensure that all workers—including our diverse and Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led gig workforce—have the basic protections of workers compensation, paid sick leave, family leave, disability insurance, and the right to form a union."
Prop 22 has served as a template for lawmakers in other states seeking to deny or limit basic worker rights, benefits, and protections.
In Massachusetts, app-based companies have been fighting for years to get a measure to classify drivers as contractors on the state ballot. In 2022, Lyft made the largest political donation in state history—$14.4 million—to a coalition funding one such proposal.
Last month, Uber and Lyft reached an agreement with the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a Democrat, to pay $175 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2020. As part of the deal, the companies also agreed to increase driver pay and provide paid sick leave, accident insurance, and some health benefits. The agreement does not address how app-based gig workers should be classified.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Young Voters Tell Kamala Harris to 'Fight for Our Future'
"This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Jul 25, 2024
Four youth-led groups on Thursday urged Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to "fight for our future" by pursuing a policy agenda the coalition unveiled in a March letter to U.S. President Joe Biden.
It's been less than a week since Biden left the race and endorsed Harris, who is expected to face former Republican Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), in the November election. Since then, she's racked up endorsements from Democratic members of Congress and progressive groups focused on issues including climate, labor, and reproductive rights.
March for Our Lives, which was launched after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, honored Harris with the group's first-ever endorsement on Wednesday, calling her "the right person to stand up for us and fight for the country we deserve."
"To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters."
The gun violence prevention organization is part of the youth-led coalition behind the new letter, which also includes the climate-focused Sunrise Movement; Gen-Z for Change, which advocates on a range of issues; and the national immigrant network United We Dream Action.
"You have an urgent and important task. To defeat Trump, you must rebuild support and enthusiasm among young voters," the coalition told Harris on Thursday, noting that she sought the Democratic nomination during the last cycle. "You should build on your 2020 campaign platform where you put forward a strong vision to make the economy work for everyday people and ensure a livable future for us all."
The groups urged Harris to support the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, and the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act. They pushed her to expand pathways to citizenship, keep families together, end fossil fuel subsidies, and create good, union jobs. They also called on her to prioritize gun violence prevention and investments in public health solutions and green, affordable housing.
"Democrats are at a critical crossroads with young people," the coalition wrote to Harris on Thursday. "Polls showed Biden and Trump neck-and-neck among young voters."
ANew York Times/Siena College poll conducted July 22-24 shows Trump leading Harris 48% to 47% among likely voters and 48% to 46% among registered voters—differences that fall within the margin of error.
Forbesnoted Thursday that "Democrats are far more enthusiastic about Harris than they were Biden, the Times/Siena survey found, with nearly 80% of voters who lean Democrat saying they would like Harris to be the nominee, compared to 48% of Democrats who said the same about Biden three weeks ago."
The outlet also pointed to two other polls conducted by Morning Consult and Reuters/Ipsos since Biden dropped out, which both show Harris with a narrow lead over Trump.
"You have an opportunity to win the youth vote by turning the page and differentiating yourself from Biden policies that are deeply unpopular with us, such as approving new oil and gas projects, denying people their right to seek refuge and asylum, and funding the Israeli government's killing of civilians in Gaza," the youth coalition highlighted Thursday. "You must speak to the economic pain young people are facing from crushing student debt and skyrocketing housing and food prices."
Looking beyond November, the groups told Harris—who could be the first Black woman and person of Asian descent elected to the country's highest office—that "you could be a historic president. Not just because of who you are, but what you can accomplish."
"Young people are energized and ready to organize against fascism and for the future we deserve," they concluded. "This is your chance to energize young people and our communities to vote, mount one of the greatest political comebacks in decades, and deliver a resounding defeat to the far-right agenda of Trump and Vance."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Video Game Actors Strike for AI Protections
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said one union leader. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games."
Jul 25, 2024
After nearly two years of negotiations with video game giants and no deal that would protect performers from artificial intelligence, unionized voice and motion capture actors who work in video game development announced Thursday that they will go on strike starting at 12:01 am on Friday, July 26.
The performers are represented by Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which last year won a contract for TV and film actors that included "unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI," after the union went on strike for four months.
The union has been negotiating on behalf of video game actors with major production companies including Disney Character Voices Inc., Activision Productions Inc., and WB Games Inc., and has won concessions over wages and job safety—but "AI protections remain the sticking point," said SAG-AFTRA on Thursday as the impending strike was announced.
Unionized actors want protections that would stop video game companies from training AI to replicate actors' voices or likeness without their consent and without compensating them.
"The video game industry generates billions of dollars in profit annually," said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA. "The driving force behind that success is the creative people who design and create those games. That includes the SAG-AFTRA members who bring memorable and beloved game characters to life, and they deserve and demand the same fundamental protections as performers in film, television, streaming, and music: fair compensation and the right of informed consent for the AI use of their faces, voices, and bodies."
"Frankly, it's stunning that these video game studios haven't learned anything from the lessons of last year—that our members can and will stand up and demand fair and equitable treatment with respect to AI, and the public supports us in that," he added.
Sarah Elmaleh, negotiating committee chair for the union's interactive media agreement, said the negotiations have shown the companies "are not interested in fair, reasonable AI protections, but rather flagrant exploitation."
"We look forward to collaborating with teams on our interim and independent contracts, which provide AI transparency, consent, and compensation to all performers, and to continuing to negotiate in good faith with this bargaining group when they are ready to join us in the world we all deserve," said Elmaleh.
The unionized actors voted in favor of the strike authorization with a 98.32% yes vote, said SAG-AFTRA.
The strike was announced as more than 500 workers who help develop the popular World of Warcraft video game franchise voted to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA), with the games publisher, Blizzard Entertainment, recognizing the bargaining unit.
CWA noted that the workers' journey to union representation began with a walkout in 2021 at Activision Blizzard, which was later bought by Microsoft, over sexual harassment and discrimination.
"What we've accomplished at World of Warcraft is just the beginning," Eric Lanham, a World of Warcraft test analyst, said in a statement. "We know that when workers have a protected voice, it's a win-win for employee standards, the studio, and World of Warcraft fans looking for the best gaming experience."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular