Violations of Foreign Workers' Human Rights, Perpetrators Criminally Charged
The perpetrator of a shocking incident of human rights violations against foreign workers at a brick manufacturing plant in Naju, Jeonnam, has finally faced legal judgment.
On the 10th, the Ministry of Employment and Labor revealed the results of a workplace inspection conducted on the 24th of last month, involving 12 labor inspectors from the Gwangju Employment and Labor Office.
This incident involves Mr. A, a Sri Lankan national, who was subjected to serious human rights violations when he was tied up and lifted by a forklift over a pile of bricks by his colleague, Mr. B.
Serious Human Rights Violation
The investigation confirmed that Mr. B's actions constituted 'assault' and 'workplace harassment,' which are explicitly prohibited under the Labor Standards Act.
Accordingly, the Labor Ministry has filed criminal charges against Mr. B for violating labor standards and imposed a fine of 3 million won for workplace harassment. Mr. B is also reported to have been charged with special detention and special assault.
Discovery of Overall Labor Law Violations at the Workplace
During the inspection process, various labor law violations by the company were also uncovered.
It was revealed that the company had failed to pay wages and severance payments totaling 29 million won to 21 employees, including 8 foreign workers.
This amount included an unpaid wage of 250,000 won owed to the victim, Mr. A. Additionally, the Labor Ministry found a total of 12 legal violations, including excessive working hours and lack of specification of working conditions, and issued corrective orders.
They announced that if the issues are not rectified by the deadline, they plan to file charges against the employer and initiate legal proceedings. Furthermore, the company faces employment permit restrictions for up to three years according to the Foreign Employment Act.
Meanwhile, regarding the collective harassment allegations against Mr. A raised by migrant worker organizations, the Labor Ministry reported that only Mr. B's harassment was confirmed through the investigation.
Minister of Labor Kim Young-hoon stated, "It is the common sense of the new government that the protection of labor rights should not differ based on language or skin color," and added, "We will regularly operate 'Foreign Workers' Human Rights Reporting and Counseling Days,' with labor inspectors involved, to remain aware of the difficulties faced by foreign workers in the workplace."
Image source: Jeonnam Migrant Worker Rights Network, illustrative materials for understanding the article / gettyimagesbank, provided by Jeonnam Migrant Worker Rights Network
