• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.105-137
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• 2013

This paper proposes to examine the relationship between the two trade unions of Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) - those of the regular workers and of the in-house subcontract workers - around the issue of converting irregular workers to regular ones, which has been a social issue for a long time, and, furthermore, to find a desirable solution. The politics of the in-house subcontracting rotate around three axes: the conflictive collusion between the company and the regular workers'union regarding the internal labor market; the exclusion and resistance between the company and the subcontract workers'union; and the solidaristic conflict relationship between the two unions. After the final decree by the supreme court in 2012 the conflict and collusion/solidarity relationship of the three social actors have been amplified in scale - the continuous limping of the special bargaining between the company and the unions, the intensified conflict between the company and the subcontract workers'union, and the crisis of the collusion between the branches of the two unions are all evidence of this. A clue to the solution to the issues of in-house subcontracting in HMC can be found through reestablishment of the relationship among the three actors. In order to solve the in-house subcontracting issues in HMC, phased and lawful switching from irregular to regular positions, improvement of working conditions for the irregular workers, integration of the two unions (realization of 'one company one union'), and negotiated flexibility in the internal labor market will be required. Also to be considered are installation of a special committee for the issue, and utilization of external consultants. The result would be the possibility for the corporate labor market of HMC to be composed of regular workers, legal contract workers and directly-employed contract workers, which could be realized through bilateral relations of 'the labor and management conflict partnership'.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.207-230
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• 2001

This paper uses the Korean Labor Panel data to investigate changes in the employment types of male workers following their job changes with the classification of workers into three categories: regular wage workers, non-regular wage workers, and self-employed workers. It also estimates a competing-risks hazard model to analyze the determinants of employment types of workers. The results show that the type of employment of a worker at an immediate previous job has a critical importance in determining his employment type at a new job and that the types of employment at jobs other than the immediate previous job also play some role in determining the type of employment at a new job, although their impact declines as the number of intervening jobs increases. A job loser, who worked as a non-regular worker at his immediate previous job, for example, is considerably less likely to find a regular job, but more likely to get reemployed at another non-regular job than one who worked as a regular worker at his immediate previous job. Similarly, a worker who quit self-employment is much less likely to find a regular job but more likely to restart his own business than one who worked as a regular worker at his immediate previous job. These findings suggest that it is not easy at all for a worker who worked as either a non-regular worker or self-employed worker to become a regular worker, although it might be premature to assert that non-regular jobs or self-employed jobs are dead-end jobs. Another interesting finding of this analysis is that a high unemployment rate lowers a probability of reemployment at either regular jobs or self-employed jobs, but raises a non-regular job reemployment probability, which strongly implies that as labor market conditions become adverse to workers the proportion of non-regular employment can rise rapidly.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.137-179
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• 2018

To reduce labor market discrimination, there are lively discussions about the role of extant labor regime based on labor unions. It includes both the critical perspective on extant labor movement and the necessity of new actors for resolving discriminations within labor market. Among new actors, the present study focuses on contingent labor centers. Specifically, we have investigated on the development and identity of contingent labor centers as coalition of local government-labor organization. The core content of this study is to reconstruct the activities and strategies of contingent labor centers throughout the longitudinal approach. From many evidences, we can confirm that contingent labor centers have evolved via three phases such as differentiation, de- politicizing, and networks. This finding also provides insights about inside relationships between contingent labor centers and outside tensions between contingent labor center and extant labor organizations. We finally discuss on the theoretical implications of contingent labor center as new actor for contingent worker movement.

• Korean Journal of Labor Studies
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.177-208
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• 2011

This article examines that how in-house subcontract has been introduced and developed in metal industry in 1970s, focusing typical workplaces in steel industry. That was essential for the capital to insure control mechanism for large number of laborer because of mobilizing a large scale of capital in industrialization of heavy metal industry. In case of Pohang steel industry, this necessity was fulfilled by introduction and imitation of Japanese personnel management by being included of Japanese economic hinterland. This was embodied in both constructing internal labor market for regular workers and introducing in-house subcontracting system for contingent workers at workplaces. This was exceptional comparing in-house subcontracting system in Korean steel industry with in-house subcontracting system in advanced economies, because of disappearing in-house subcontracting system by making internal labor market. And this was closely linked by late development of Korea. Implications of Pohang steel company's case are as follows : first, late development effect in formation of employment system, second, in linking informality of Korean employment system. This implications mean that in-house subcontracting in steel industry is structured as mechanism for personnel management in large factory being influenced by industrialization of heavy industry. In this point, improvements which include wide economic solution beyond labor solution for present problem of in-house subcontracting system is desirable.

• Journal of Labour Economics
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.67-96
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• 2001

The recent economic crisis started at the end of 1997 has brought about changes in labor market practices. One of them is rapid increase in the ratio of workers with alternative employment arrangement, so-called contingent workers. This type of arrangement, unlike traditional employment arrangement, makes employers properly adjust employment to business cycles and it also makes it possible for employees to solve time and spatial constraints related to labor supply. However, recent experience has revealed its negative characteristics such as lower wage rate, deficient fringe benefits, insufficient job security. Using the data from the first and the second wave of the Korea Labor and Income Panel Survey, this study focuses on change in the tendency of being contingent workers and decomposition of the wage differentials among regular and contingent workers by estimating the switching regression model. Results show that the recent crisis significantly contributed to probabilities of being contingent workers, especially for women, the young, the older, and the lowly educated. Decomposition shows that one quarter or one third of 35% of wage differentials are due to the price effect that the same productive characteristics are differently paid by the types of employment arrangements.

• 한국사회정책
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.201-237
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• 2016

This paper focuses on Korean and Japanese female workers participating in the outside (secondary) labour market, especially with an attention given to two aspects. First, we explain how females are 'more outsiders' than males in the labour market. Secondly, we investigate M-shape in the female labour market participation by focusing on different proportion of non-standard worker. Then, in order to explain why women keep on being more concentrated in the outer side of the labour market, we examine the development of three policies in Korea and Japan since 1990s. Labour market deregulation policy, female employment policy and lastly, family policy are examined as institutional arrangement. Lastly, we discuss on how institutional combination is associated with females' concentration in the outside labour market in Korean and Japanese dual labour market.

• Economic Analysis
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.66-122
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• 2019

As the Korean economy grew, employment expanded steadily, with the number of economically active people increasing and the employment-to-population rate also increasing. However, the working age population started to decline in 2017, and the employment of women and young people has been sluggish. The proportion of non-salaried workers in Korea is much higher than in other OECD countries, and is also excessive, considering Korea's income levels. In addition, the proportion of non-regular workers and the proportion of workers employed at small companies are particularly high among salaried workers. In light of these characteristics of Korean employment, the urgent problems facing the employment structure can be summarized by the deepening dual structure of the labor market, the increase in youth unemployment, sluggish female employment figures, and an excessive share of self-employment. Overall, it is seen that labor market duality is the main structural factor of the employment problems in Korea. Therefore, in order to fundamentally address this employment problem, it is necessary to concentrate policy efforts on alleviating labor market duality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Industrial Safety Conference
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.169-175
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• 2000

우리나라는 IMF 체제하의 경제악화로 기업의 구조조정이 가속화되어 근로자 감축으로 인한 작업강도가 오히려 증대되으나, 안전관리자 의무고용 완화, 기업규제완화에 관한 특별 조치법 시행 등 안전보건의 약화요인이 발생되어 사업장 내에서 사고발생 가능성이 높아졌으며, 또한 노동시장의 유연화에 따른 안전지식이 부족한 비정규 근로자의 증가로 인해 대형사고 위험성이 증대되고 있다.(중략)

• 한국사회정책
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.1-29
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• 2017

This study compares and analyzes precarious labor market in Korea and Japan in terms of gender and occupational class. Previous studies have analyzed precarious labor limited to the level of employment type such as non-standard workers. This study reconceptualizes precarious labor in terms of the combination of employment relations and income level. In addition. we analyzed whether there are differences in the characteristics of precarious labor between Korea and Japan. In order to analyze the labor market precariousness in Korea. we used data from the 17th Korea Labor Panel Survey (2014) and for Japan. we used the 9th (2012) data from the Keio Household Panel Survey. As a result. we could confirm the feminization of labor market precariousness and horizontal division by occupation in both Korea and Japan. Also. ordered logistic regression analysis showed that the more women. and those in their 60s or older. the less skilled service workers. or the manufacturing workers are likely to face labor market instability in both Korea and Japan. The results of this analysis reflect the fact that Korea and Japan have experienced similar changes in the labor market structure with institutionalized employment protection system based on male workers.

• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.113-135
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• 2011

As intense economic competition has led to more flexibility in the labor market, marginal or atypical employment has rapidly grown. Although marginal work represents an important proportion of whole employment, it is still characterized by insecure and unfavorable working conditions. Therefore employees in marginal jobs are highly likely to be subject to social exclusion. In turn, social exclusion puts marginal workers in a high risk of mental health problems. One of major mental health symptoms has been depression. So far, however, little attention has been paid to the effect of social exclusion of marginal employees on mental health problems including depression. Hence this study examines empirically the effect of social exclusion of casual workers in the construction industry, a protype of marginal employees, on depression. Its results indicate that social exclusion has influence upon depression of marginal workers. This study is the first one to delve into the relationships between temporary employment, social exclusion, and depression of marginal employees. Yet much more empirical researches are needed in order to shed brighter light on these relationships.