In the Ansan Industrial Complex, 136 workers were illegally dispatched to manufacturing processes by labor supply companies and user companies. The government plans to operate a concentrated reporting period for illegal labor supply companies until the end of the year and expand oversight to other industrial complexes.
The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on October 7 that from June 22 to about three months later, it conducted inspections on illegal dispatch practices among labor supply companies near the Ansan Industrial Complex. Out of 19 workplaces inspected, 18 were found to have committed a total of 67 violations of labor laws, indicating that 94.7% of the inspected sites had confirmed violations.
This inspection was initiated in response to concerns about the prevalence of illegal labor supply through unlicensed companies in the vicinity of the Ansan Industrial Complex. Initially targeting four unlicensed labor supply companies and two manufacturing firms, the investigation expanded to include a total of 19 sites.
The results revealed that 10 labor supply companies illegally dispatched 136 workers to the direct production processes of eight manufacturing companies. Among the 10 identified labor supply companies, eight had not even obtained dispatch business permits. Generally, labor dispatch workers cannot be used in direct production processes unless there are special circumstances, such as a sudden increase in orders.
The Ministry has initiated criminal investigations against the labor supply companies confirmed to have engaged in illegal dispatch. The eight manufacturing companies that employed the dispatched workers have been ordered to directly hire the 136 workers.
In addition to illegal dispatch, numerous violations of labor laws were also identified. A total of 27 violations were found, including failure to pay annual leave allowances and exceeding overtime limits, amounting to 1.62 billion won.
Of the 67 total violations, 40 were related to illegal dispatch, while nine involved unpaid wages, and 18 were other labor law violations.
As the scope of the investigation expanded, it suggests that the labor supply structure in the Ansan Industrial Complex may not be an isolated issue. Consequently, the Ministry plans to examine labor supply practices in other industrial complexes as part of its follow-up measures. A concentrated reporting period for illegal labor supply companies will be maintained until the end of the year, and additional inspections will be conducted based on received reports.
The Ministry views the issue of illegal dispatch in industrial complexes as linked to structural factors, such as ongoing labor shortages and the use of external labor, rather than merely a temporary deviation. Therefore, it will also pursue investigations into labor utilization practices in major industrial complexes and collaborate with local labor-management councils and organizations supporting non-regular workers.
Seong Myung-seok, Director of Labor Standards Policy at the Ministry, stated, "While we have focused on monitoring illegal dispatch involving primary contractors and subcontractors, labor supply companies are not outside the scope of enforcement. We will actively support improvements in the employment structure in industrial complex areas to eradicate the chronic issue of illegal dispatch."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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