A press conference was held by the National Democratic Union of Korea on the 15th to address the labor conditions of native speaking instructors who testified regarding labor rights violations they experienced. Among the 13,196 native speaking instructors staying in Korea on a conversation instruction visa (E2), seven of them testified to cases of labor rights violations. They insisted that, like any other migrant workers, they were “taking on violence and oppression” because of the employer’s absolute authority and the unfamiliar Korean labor law system. Native speaking instructors reported illegal acts such as being paid in gift certificates instead of cash, being forced to take classes that have nothing to do with conversation, and not being paid overtime pay. The general union plans to create a branch of native speaking instructors to address these issues and to grow the organization for collective bargaining over the working conditions.
On the 15th, the National Democratic Union of Korea held a press conference to testify regarding the labor conditions of native speaking instructors, and native speaking instructors explained the labor rights violations they experienced. Correspondent Bang Joon-ho.
“I think it would be difficult to understand that something illegal like this might happen in a country that prides itself on respect and democracy. No matter how inhumanely the native speaking instructors were treated at academies or schools, we taught the children with a smile. But the silence will end today.” When teacher Joan, who has been working as a native speaker in Korea for 7 years, declared this, the 50 or so native speaker teachers who filled her auditorium nodded and clapped. On the 15th, Korean native speaking instructors who joined the National Democratic General Labor Union (general union) held a ‘conference with reporters testifying regarding the working conditions of native speaking instructors’ at the Gangbuk Workers’ Welfare Center in Seoul, on the 15th. , and testified to cases of labor rights violations, such as unfair work instructions. As of 2021, there are 13,196 native speaking instructors staying in Korea on a conversation instruction visa (E2). Most of them are citizens of 7 countries where English is their native language, including the United States and South Africa. Seven native speaking instructors who testified that day insisted that, like any other migrant workers, they were “taking on violence and oppression” in front of the uneasy status of residence, the employer’s absolute authority, and the unfamiliar Korean labor law system. Instructors continued to testify using masks or pseudonyms of their own choosing due to anxiety regarding their safety. Among the testimonies conducted in English, only words such as ‘academy’ and ‘director’ were clearly pronounced in Korean. Mr. K, from the United States, wept while talking regarding his experience a while ago in front of a screen that read ‘I don’t feel safe’. He said, “I went to the hospital because I was not feeling well, and they said that a tumor that was most likely cancer had to be removed urgently. As for the best date, the director of the academy refused (annual leave), and I was able to go to the hospital on the date the director set at will. My medical records were shared with the doctor and the director without my knowledge. I am the property of my employer in Korea. I am not an independent person.” Emma, who came from South Africa, was taken to the hospital due to sudden onset of autoimmune encephalitis. In the process, she found out that she was registered as an individual entrepreneur, not an academy worker. “My employer registered me as self-employed to avoid paying taxes and health insurance,” she said. ‘Fake businessmen’ who register workers as individual entrepreneurs and do not bear labor-related obligations have spread to native speaking instructors, and foreigners staying in Korea on the premise of an employment relationship are at risk of losing their residency status. Native speaking instructors said they had suffered illegal acts such as being paid in gift certificates instead of cash, being forced to take classes that have nothing to do with conversation, such as TOEIC lectures or English math lectures, and not paying overtime pay. Nicholas, who came from the United States, said, “I found out that the academy had not paid annual leave and severance pay to all teachers for a long time, and I was able to get overdue wages by seeking legal advice from the union. In the process, I was threatened by the academy.” said. Native speaking instructors joined the Knowledge Labor Union last year in the process of providing legal counseling. Currently, regarding 40 people are said to have joined the general union. General unions join vulnerable workers, such as security workers and cleaning workers, who are mostly in the blind spots of existing unions. On this day, not only union members but also native speaking instructors who were interested in joining the union attended. Joanne said, “The discrimination and illegality that came out today are things that any native speaker would have experienced or seen.” The general union plans to continue its activities by creating a branch of native speaking instructors. Park Jeong-jik, deputy head of organization at the general union’s Seoul headquarters, said, “Since even the basic labor laws are not being followed, the goal is to collect illegal cases by type and create a manual, and then grow the organization so that collective bargaining over working conditions is possible.” Reporter Bang Jun-ho [email protected]
The testimonies of the native speaking instructors in Korea highlight the inhumane treatment they have experienced at academies and schools. However, on the 15th, they took a stand and spoke out, shedding light on the labor rights violations they have endured. The National Democratic General Labor Union is taking action once morest the oppression they have faced, offering legal counseling and creating a branch specifically for native speaking instructors. As we move forward, we must continue to ensure that vulnerable workers, such as foreign instructors, are protected and treated with the respect and dignity they deserve.