Workers chant slogans during a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Sunday, calling for all workers to be guaranteed the right to take Labor Day off. Yonhap
Nearly four out of 10 workers in Korea are not guaranteed paid leave on Labor Day, highlighting persistent blind spots in labor rights, particularly among non-full time workers.
According to a poll commissioned by civic group Workplace Gabjil 119 and conducted by Global Research from Feb. 2 to 8, 35.2 percent of 1,000 surveyed employees said they are not ensured paid leave on May 1.
The disparity becomes more pronounced across employment types. Among day laborers, who are employed on a daily basis, 60 percent reported not receiving paid leave. The figure was similarly high for freelancers at 59.3 percent, part-time workers at 57 percent and dispatched or outsourced workers at 40 percent.
In contrast, only 16.5 percent of employees at large corporations reported the same issue, indicating significantly stronger protections for those in more stable, formal employment.
Labor Day was designated as a paid holiday in Korea in 1994. However, due to varying interpretations of the Labor Standards Act, certain groups such as public officials, teachers and delivery workers were classified as "special employment" and not clearly guaranteed the day off.
This changed earlier this year, when the government approved a legal revision designating Labor Day as a public holiday and amended regulations governing public holidays for government offices. As a result, all public institutions, including community service centers and schools, will be closed for the holiday.
With its formal designation as a holiday in Korea, workers who work on May 1 may receive up to 2.5 times their usual daily wage. The Ministry of Employment and Labor explains that this includes 100 percent of regular pay, an additional 50 percent holiday premium and 100 percent paid holiday compensation.
But for salaried workers, the paid holiday portion is already included in their monthly salary. As a result, those who work on Labor Day receive only 150 percent — regular pay plus a holiday premium.
Park Sung-woo, head of the online union at Workplace Gabjil 119, stressed that many workers remain outside the scope of labor law protections. “There are far too many workers who exist outside the legal framework. Labor laws should be applied universally to all workers,” he said.
Source: Korea Times News
