The Ministry of Employment and Labor is promoting a workplace culture that addresses migrant workers by their names. The initiative aims to change the practice of not treating migrant workers as equal colleagues due to differences in nationality and language, thereby expanding a culture of labor respect across various industries.
On August 5, the ministry held a 'Migrant Workers Labor Respect Campaign' in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, in collaboration with four labor rights foundations and the provincial government. The event was attended by over 150 participants, including business representatives and migrant workers from the region.
During the event, migrant workers received safety helmets engraved with their names. The ministry explained that the helmets symbolize respect for each migrant worker as a valuable colleague in the workplace.
This campaign follows a memorandum of understanding signed in April by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and four labor rights foundations, including the Public Cooperation Fund, the Financial Industry Public Interest Foundation, the Ubuntu Foundation, and the Jeon Tae-il Foundation. The goal is to foster a culture of addressing migrant workers by their names instead of using informal terms like 'hey' or 'you,' thereby promoting equal respect.
Since launching in Ulsan in April, the ministry and labor rights foundations have continued the campaign in various locations, including Gwangju in May and Yecheon in June. They plan to maintain these efforts nationwide to further promote a culture of labor respect.
At the event, labor and employer organizations in South Chungcheong also issued a joint declaration to respect the rights of migrant workers. The declaration emphasizes cooperation between labor and management to ensure that migrant workers are treated with dignity, work safely, and receive fair labor conditions, while committing to ongoing monitoring and implementation in daily practices. It also expresses a commitment to building an inclusive local community.
Kim Young-hoon, the Minister of Employment and Labor, stated, 'Migrant workers are not just a source of labor but valuable members and colleagues who contribute to our society. Addressing them by their names is the most fundamental practice of recognizing their existence and respecting their dignity as workers.' He added, 'We will continue to strive to create workplaces where all workers are respected and not marginalized.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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