Landscape to Proof

DISPOSABLE LA BOU R RIGHTS OF MIGRANT WORKERS IN SOUTH KOREA Amnesty International is a global movement of 2.2 million people in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion – funded mainly by our membership and public donations. Amnesty International Publications First published in 2009 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org © Amnesty International Publications 2009 Index: ASA 25/001/2009 Original language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for re-use in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. Cover photo : Campaign badges from Solidarity with Migrants, an association of non-governmental organizations based in Busan, South Korea. © Amnesty International Disposable Labour: Rights of migrant workers in South Korea 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY ..............................................................2 2. BACKGROUND ........................................................................................6 2.1. Trainee systems and EPS .............................................................................................. 7 2.2. Entertainment visa ....................................................................................................... 8 2.3. International legal framework ........................................................................................ 9 2.4. Government due diligence .......................................................................................... 11 3. SHORTCOMINGS OF EPS.......................................................................13 3.1. Discrimination ........................................................................................................... 18 3.2. Change of employment ............................................................................................... 20 3.3. Unfair dismissal ........................................................................................................ 23 4. PROBLEMS IN THE PRE-DEPARTURE AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS......25 4.1. Recruitment process: corruption and exploitation .......................................................... 25 4.2. False promises .......................................................................................................... 27 4.3. HIV testing ................................................................................................................ 30 5. PROBLEMS IN THE ARREST AND DETENTION OF IRREGULAR MIGRANT WORKERS .......................................................................................................33 5.1. Violations of immigration and arrest procedures ............................................................ 35 5.2. Deaths and injuries while fleeing and in custody ........................................................... 41 5.3. Deportation ............................................................................................................... 47 5.4. Detention centres ...................................................................................................... 49 5.4.1. Conditions in detention .......................................................................................... 50 6. WORKING CONDITIONS.........................................................................53 6.1. Rest days, pay and benefits ........................................................................................ 53 6.2. Withheld wages ......................................................................................................... 60 6.3. Sexual harassment and violence .................................................................................. 63 7. HEALTH AND SAFETY............................................................................68 7.1. Industrial accidents ................................................................................................... 72 7.2. Industrial accident compensation ................................................................................ 75 7.3. Childcare .................................................................................................................. 78 8. ENTERTAINMENT WORK SCHEME .........................................................80 8.1. Trafficking ................................................................................................................ 81 8.1.1. Elements of trafficking ........................................................................................... 84 8.1.2. Inability to access justice ....................................................................................... 87 9. TRADE UNION ACTIVITIES.....................................................................89 9.1. MTU’s legal status ..................................................................................................... 89 9.1.1. Domestic and international standards ...................................................................... 90 9.2. Crackdown against MTU leadership ............................................................................. 92 10. RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................95 Amnesty International October 2009 AI Index: ASA 25/001/2009 2 Disposable Labour: Rights of migrant workers in South Korea “Migrant workers came here to work. We are employed in the most dangerous, dirty and difficult work – jobs that Koreans don’t want. But we’re not animals, we’re human beings so our employers and managers should treat us with respect or at the very least, call us by our names, not derogatory terms or swear words. We want to be treated equally with Korean workers. ” ST, 30-year-old Vietnamese male EPS worker Busan, South Korea 1 1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY With the implementation of the Employment Permit System (EPS) in August 2004, the Republic of Korea (South Korea) became one of the first Asian countries to legally recognise the rights of migrant workers. Under South Korean law, migrant workers became equal to national workers with equal labour rights, pay and benefits. Now five years into the EPS work scheme, migrant workers in South Korea continue to be at risk of human rights abuses and many of the exploitative practices that existed under the previous Industrial Trainee System (ITS) still persist under the EPS. Amnesty International has identified the following areas of concerns. In the recruitment process, there have been improvements in bypassing the use of brokers in some countries, but in others, this is still a problem with migrant workers incurring large debts to pay exorbitant broker fees. Moreover, EPS workers found that the job their employer offered to them in their countries of origin was different from the one awaiting them, particularly in regards to their wages and working hours. Moreover, EPS and E-6 entertainment visa applicants2 are subjected to a discriminatory policy of mandatory disclosure of HIV status. Although low-skilled South Korean workers also suffer from some of the abusive work conditions documented in this report, migrant workers are at greater risk because of their status. Both regular and irregular migrant workers face discrimination, and verbal and physical abuse in the workplace. They are required to work long hours and night shifts, many without overtime pay, and often have their wages withheld. On average, they are paid less than South Korean workers in similar jobs and are at greater risk of industrial accidents with inadequate medical treatment or compensation. EPS workers are tied to their employer and face restrictions in changing jobs, making them particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation such as unfair dismissal. In the workplace, migrant workers operate heavy machinery or work with dangerous chemicals with little or no training or protective equipment. As a result, compared to South Korean workers, a disproportionately greater number of migrant workers suffer industrial accidents, including fatal accidents. When accidents occur, many migrant workers fail to receive adequate medical treatment or compensation due to the language barrier, their unfamiliarity with their rights as workers or local laws, and in disputes, their inability to access a lawyer. 1 Amnesty International interview with ST in Busan, South Korea on 8 November 2008. 2 Along with E-2 (foreign language teachers) applicants. Amnesty International October 2009 AI Index: ASA 25/001/2009 Disposable Labour: Rights of migrant workers in South Korea 3 Women migrant workers are particularly at risk of exploitation. Many are sexually assaulted or harassed by the management or their co-workers. Under the entertainment work scheme, several female E-6 workers, recruited as singers

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