당정, '위험의 외주화' 방지법 처리 주력하기로
Following a recent accident involving the death of a subcontract worker,... the ruling party and government have called for a fundamental reform of workplace health and safety.
They're also mulling ways to improve conditions for temporary workers.
Kim Min-ji tells us more.
South Korea's ruling Democratic Party and the government have vowed all-out efforts to pass a revision to the law on occupational safety and health before the end of this year.
The two sides held an emergency meeting on Wednesday -- in the wake of a recent accident at a local power plant that claimed a worker's life.
The 24-year-old, employed by a subcontractor, was found dead after he got caught in a conveyer belt while working the night shift alone -- something that according to regulation should have been done in pairs.
His death, critics claim, shows how outsourcing expose many irregular workers to danger without sufficient training or safety equipment -- which often leads to accidents.
We need fundamental measures to prevent tragic accidents involving laborers. What we need first is to find out whether any regulations were violated, or whether there were attempts to avoid fully reporting the accident. We also need measures to address outsourcing in the power plant sector."
The revision will entail holding contractors more responsible,... limiting the outsourcing of dangerous work... and stepping up sanctions to prevent industrial accidents.
The government also vowed to monitor overall safety management obligations... and deal with any violations severely.
Besides that,... they're seeking to add industrial accidents involving subcontractors to the criteria when the government assesses public corporations.
Rival parties for now have agreed on the need to deal with the bill as soon as possible.
The National Assembly's labor committee will hold a hearing on the issue this Friday,... and aims to have the bill ready for a vote by the last plenary session of the year, next Thursday.
Kim Min-ji, Arirang News.
