“No one should be discriminated against at work or face gaps in safety and health simply because of a different nationality,” Ryu said.
Ryu made the remarks in Ulsan during a “Respect for Migrant Workers” campaign held with four labor rights foundations: the Public Mutual Growth Solidarity Fund, the Financial Industry Public Interest Foundation, the Office Finance Ubuntu Foundation, and the Jeon Tae-il Foundation.
He said everyone should be recognized as a member of the workplace and be able to work safely and return home in good health.
At the event, the ministry and the four foundations gave about 100 migrant workers at Ulsan-area workplaces safety helmets engraved with their names. It was the first campaign since the ministry and the foundations signed a memorandum of understanding on the 17th to improve migrant workers’ labor rights.
Organizers said the effort is meant to encourage everyday practice of calling workers by their names instead of customary terms such as “hey” or “you,” and to stress the importance of wearing helmets to raise awareness of preventing industrial accidents.
The ministry and the foundations plan to take the campaign nationwide, starting with Ulsan.
Ryu called it meaningful to launch the campaign around Labor Day, which he said regained its name after 63 years, and said he hopes the practice spreads across industrial sites nationwide and helps build a society that respects labor.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.