Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Republic of Korea (RATIFICATION: 1997)

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The Committee notes the observations of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) received on 2 October 2015 and the Government’s response thereto.

Articles 7 and 8 of the Convention. Employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. Statistics of the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes the information provided in the Government’s report and that the Government continues to regularly supply data and statistics on the economically active population, employment and underemployment, census data and methodological information to the ILO Department of Statistics for dissemination through its website (ILOSTAT). The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) figures relate to 2014, while the 18th quinquennial Population Census and tenth housing census were conducted in 2010. The Committee requests that the Government continue to supply data and information on the methodology used in the application of these provisions. It also invites the Government to provide information on any plans for conducting the next population census. Please also include information on any developments in relation to the implementation of the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization (Resolution I), adopted by the 19th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (October 2013).

Articles 9, 10, 11, 12 and 15. Statistics compiled pursuant to the Convention. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on consumer price indices (Article 12), including information on concepts, coverage, classification, methodology and publication. It also notes that statistics on strikes (Article 15) derived from administrative records are regularly submitted to the ILO Department of Statistics through the corresponding chapter of its annual questionnaire on labour statistics. The Committee notes, however, that the report does not contain information on the application of Articles 9, 10 and 11. In particular, the Government’s report contains no indication that statistics on occupational monthly wage rates and earnings and weekly normal hours of work (Article 9(2)) continue to be compiled. The Committee therefore requests that the Government provide updated information on the application of all accepted Articles of the Convention. Please communicate the requested information to the ILO, including descriptions of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics (Articles 5 and 6).

Article 14. Statistics of occupational injuries and diseases. In reply to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government’s report provides information on the procedures used to compile statistics of occupational injuries and diseases. In this regard, the FKTU indicates that a July 2014 amendment to Section 4 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act lowered the threshold for compilation of such statistics from four to three or more days of absence from work. The FKTU also indicates that there are no official statistics on the cover-up of industrial accidents. In its response to the FKTU’s observations, the Government indicates that it will take some time to fully implement the new system to report the occurrence of industrial accidents at the workplace, and that statistics are still being collected based on four or more days of medical care. Statistics on industrial accidents resulting in a “temporary disability of more than three days” will be compiled on a pilot basis in 2016 and statistics based on this modified criteria will be officially collected and published beginning in 2017. The Government further indicates that there are no official statistics on cover-up of industrial accidents published internationally and that it is difficult to estimate the total number of violations of the law given that it is not feasible to inspect every workplace. The Committee requests that the Government continue to supply up-to-date statistics of occupational injuries and diseases and that it provide further information on the impact of the legislative changes to the procedures for compiling these statistics.

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The Committee draws the attention of the Government to Resolution [I]1 concerning the Measurement of Working Time adopted by the 18th International Conference of Labour Statistics (ICLS) in November–December 2008, which defines new concepts and measures in this area of statistics (Article 9).

Article 12 of the Convention. Noting the information provided by the Government in reply to its previous comments, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide information required by the Yearbook questionnaires on consumer price indices and, in accordance with Article 6, the relevant methodological information.

Article 14. The Government indicated that the statistics and methodological information on their compilation are included in a publication attached to the report. However, this publication has not been received by the ILO and could not be found on the Internet. Also, the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used to compile the statistics (required by Article 6) are not provided. The Committee requests the Government to provide the ILO with: (i) a copy of the publication “An Analysis of Industrial Accidents in 2008, Publication No. 11-1490000-000022-10”; (ii) Statistics of non-fatal injuries and the number of days lost for publication in the ILO Yearbook of Labour Statistics; and (iii) more detailed information on the methodology used to compile statistics on occupational diseases.

Article 15. The Committee requests the Government, once more, to indicate: (i) which of the international standards are used (in the context of Article 2); and (ii) which steps, if any, are envisaged to publish methodological information (Article 6).

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With reference to its observation, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide additional information on the following provisions.

Article 8 of the Convention. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide the ILO with methodological information on the latest population census, in accordance with the requirements of Articles 5 and 6.

Article 9. The Committee requests the Government to keep the ILO informed of any development in the national system of wage statistics and would be grateful if it would continue to provide all statistics compiled on the subjects covered by this Article as soon as they are available.

Article 17 (Articles 10 and 11). The Government indicates, in its reply concerning the statistical coverage of non-regular workers, that two new surveys were undertaken, one in 2002 exclusively covering the labour conditions of non-regular workers, and particularly wages and hours of work, and the other in 2003 undertaken at the enterprise level on the labour conditions of all workers, including “regular” workers. Once stable time series data have been secured from the survey on labour conditions of enterprises, which covers all categories of workers, the survey on wage structure and the survey on labour conditions in small enterprises will be phased out and integrated into the survey on labour conditions in enterprises. The Committee requests the Government to keep the ILO informed of any development in the progressive extension of the coverage of statistics to all categories of workers.

Article 12. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would provide, in accordance with Article 5, the information required by the Yearbook questionnaires on consumer price indices and, in accordance with Article 6, the relevant methodological information.

Article 14. The Committee notes that, since December 2003, statistics of occupational injuries have covered 94 per cent of workers to whom the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance Act applies. It notes that, apart from fatal cases and rates of fatal injuries, no new information has been received since 2001 regarding the collection of data on days lost due to occupational injuries.

Similarly, the Government has provided no new information regarding the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for statistics on occupational injuries were designed or revised (Article 2).

Finally, the Committee notes that the publication referred to in the report (Analysis of the current status of industrial accidents – reference No. 11-1490000-0000-10) has not been received. However, according to information available to the Office, it notes that the Government is considering changing the methods used for occupational safety and health statistics and that a research project has been entrusted to the University of Technology and Education, with ILO technical support. The Committee would be grateful if the Government: (i) would provide information on any plans to collect information on days lost due to occupational injuries; (ii) send relevant publications regularly, in accordance with Article 5; (iii) indicate the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling statistics on occupational injuries, in accordance with Article 6; and (iv) indicate the methodology used to compile statistics of occupational diseases.

Article 15. The Committee once again asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for statistics on strikes and lockouts were designed or revised (Article 2); and (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics. The Government is also requested to provide the Office with relevant data for publication in the ILO Yearbook of Labour Statistics.

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The Committee notes the Government’s report for the period ending 1 June 2005 and the replies to its previous comments, including the matters raised in the observations made by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the application of the Convention.

1. Articles 1, 7 and 8 of the Convention. Inadequate coverage of statistics. The Committee notes, according to the Government’s indication in reply to the observation by the KCTU on the inadequate coverage of statistics in relation to all categories of workers, that, since 2001, all regular and non-regular wage earners, regardless of their occupation, are covered by a national survey carried out by the National Statistical Office (NSO) as a supplement to the survey of the economically active population.

With regard to statistics of non-regular workers, the Government indicates that, in 2001, the Tripartite Commission set up a Special Committee on Measures for Non-regular Workers. The Special Committee requested the NSO to conduct a supplementary survey on labour conditions for this category of workers, which is now carried out on an annual basis.

2. Article 3. Regular consultation of workers’ organizations in the compilation of statistics. According to the Government, the KCTU has been a member of the Subcommittee on Social Statistics since 1999 and has participated as a member of the Committee for Statistics since 2005. These bodies are consulted in the process of developing and improving labour statistics.

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on certain points.

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Referring also to its observation, the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply the information asked for in its previous direct request under Articles 14 and 15.

Article 14. The Committee notes that the coverage of statistics on occupational injuries is limited to insured employees, accounting for only about 38 per cent of all workers employed. It asks the Government to provide information on the measures that are planned, if any, to extend the coverage of the statistics on occupational injuries so that they are representative of the country as a whole, and on the steps it is planned to take, if any, to collect information on days lost due to occupational injuries.

The Committee further asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for the statistics on occupational injuries were designed or revised (Article 2); (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics on occupational injuries; this methodological description should also be communicated to the ILO (Article 6); and (iii) the methodology used to compile statistics on occupational diseases, if any.

Article 15. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for statistics on strikes and lockouts were designed or revised (Article 2); and (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics (Article 6).

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The Committee notes the Government’s report, the partial replies to its previous comments and the attached documentation. It also notes the observation by the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) on the application of the Convention, which was forwarded by the Government.

According to the KCTU, the statistics compiled in relation to Article 1 of the Convention on the structure of employees only cover full-time workers, making it difficult to gain any appreciation of the situation of workers employed on the basis of atypical arrangements and of temporary workers and part-time workers with a contract for less than one year. As the proportion of these workers is relatively high and their working conditions very poor, the KCTU considers that statistics on these workers are urgently required to understand their real situation.

With regard to the application of Article 3, the KCTU indicates that workers’ organizations were not given the opportunity to participate fully in the compilation of statistics on the economically active population and on household income and expenditure, as the meetings are held at the discretion of the Government, on a case-by-case rather than a regular basis. Following its exclusion from the Subcommittee on Social Statistics of the National Statistical Office, the KCTU is still awaiting a reply from the Government concerning the creation of a consultative committee on labour statistics.

Finally, in relation to Articles 7 and 8, the KCTU considers that certain statistics concerning atypical workers which are no longer collected should be included in the main survey on the economically active population.

The Committee would be grateful if the Government would indicate its position on the points raised by the KCTU and report any measures adopted or envisaged to ensure a better statistical coverage of all categories of workers, including those employed on the basis of atypical arrangements, in surveys on the wage structure and distribution (Article 10) and on the cost of labour (Article 11).

The Committee is addressing a request directly to the Government on other points.

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The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

        The Committee notes the Government’s first report and the comments of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU). It notes in particular that, according to the comments concerning "workers’ participation" (Article 3), workers do not have their opinions fully canvassed on specific issues, but are just informed of the Government’s proposals.

        The Committee asks the Government to provide further information on the following points.

        Article 3 of the Convention. Referring to the abovementioned comments made by FKTU, the Committee asks the Government to indicate the manner in which the representative organizations are not only "informed", but "consulted", with a view to taking into account their needs and to ensuring their cooperation. The Committee recalls, in particular, that representative organizations of employers and workers should be consulted in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics required under this Convention.

        Article 8. The Committee asks the Government to communicate to the ILO the 1995 and 2000 Population Census results as soon as practicable.

        Articles 9, 10 and 11.  The Committee notes that the requirements of Articles 9, 10 and 11 are fulfilled by the compilation and publication of statistics as follows: (i) monthly statistics of average earnings and hours actually worked; (ii) annual statistics of wage rates and normal hours of work; (iii) annual statistics on the structure of earnings and hours of work and on the distribution of employees by levels of earnings; and (iv) annual statistics on the level and structure of labour cost. Since the publications of the Ministry of Labour are generally not available in the ILO, the Committee asks the Government to communicate them, as soon as practicable, to the ILO, on a regular basis, in accordance with Article 5.

        Article 14. The Committee notes that the coverage of statistics on occupational injuries is limited to insured employees, accounting for only about 38 per cent of all workers employed. It asks the Government to provide information on the measures that are planned, if any, to extend the coverage of the statistics on occupational injuries so that they are representative of the country as a whole, and on the steps it is planned to take, if any, to collect information on days lost due to occupational injuries.

        The Committee further asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for the statistics on occupational injuries were designed or revised (Article 2); (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics on occupational injuries; this methodological description should also be communicated to the ILO (Article 6); and (iii) the methodology used to compile statistics on occupational diseases, if any.

        Article 15. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for statistics on strikes and lockouts were designed or revised (Article 2); and (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics (Article 6).

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The Committee notes the Government’s first report and the comments of the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU). It notes in particular that, according to the comments concerning "workers’ participation" (Article 3), workers do not have their opinions fully canvassed on specific issues, but are just informed of the Government’s proposals.

The Committee asks the Government to provide further information on the following points.

Article 3 of the Convention.  Referring to the abovementioned comments made by FKTU, the Committee asks the Government to indicate the manner in which the representative organizations are not only "informed", but "consulted", with a view to taking into account their needs and to ensuring their cooperation. The Committee recalls, in particular, that representative organizations of employers and workers should be consulted in designing or revising the concepts, definitions and methodology used in the collection, compilation and publication of the statistics required under this Convention.

Article 8.  The Committee asks the Government to communicate to the ILO the 1995 and 2000 Population Census results as soon as practicable.

Articles 9, 10 and 11.  The Committee notes that the requirements of Articles 9, 10 and 11 are fulfilled by the compilation and publication of statistics as follows: (i) monthly statistics of average earnings and hours actually worked; (ii) annual statistics of wage rates and normal hours of work; (iii) annual statistics on the structure of earnings and hours of work and on the distribution of employees by levels of earnings; and (iv) annual statistics on the level and structure of labour cost. Since the publications of the Ministry of Labour are generally not available in the ILO, the Committee asks the Government to communicate them, as soon as practicable, to the ILO, on a regular basis, in accordance with Article 5.

Article 14.  The Committee notes that the coverage of statistics on occupational injuries is limited to insured employees, accounting for only about 38 per cent of all workers employed. It asks the Government to provide information on the measures that are planned, if any, to extend the coverage of the statistics on occupational injuries so that they are representative of the country as a whole, and on the steps it is planned to take, if any, to collect information on days lost due to occupational injuries.

The Committee further asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for the statistics on occupational injuries were designed or revised (Article 2); (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics on occupational injuries; this methodological description should also be communicated to the ILO (Article 6); and (iii) the methodology used to compile statistics on occupational diseases, if any.

Article 15.  The Committee asks the Government to provide information on: (i) the standards and guidelines established under the auspices of the ILO that were followed when the concepts, definitions and methodology used for statistics on strikes and lockouts were designed or revised (Article 2); and (ii) the title and reference number of the principal publication containing the detailed description of the sources, concepts, definitions and methodology used in collecting and compiling the statistics (Article 6).