Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) - Republic of Korea (Ratification: 1992)

1. Article 8 of the Convention. Increasing the proportion of women in the staff of the labour inspectorate. With reference to a point raised by the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU), concerning the need to raise the proportion of women inspectors in the labour inspectorate in response to the strong increase in women workers, the Committee notes with satisfaction the steady progress made by the Government in this respect. Between 2001 and 2007, the proportion of women in the staff of the inspectorate rose from 12 to 22 per cent, thereby also responding to the request by the Committee on the Application of Standards of the International Labour Conference (92nd Session, June 2004) to increase the number of women in the staff of the labour inspectorate so that inspection services adequately address certain issues relating to the conditions of work of women.

2. Articles 10 and 16. Staff numbers of the labour inspection services and effectiveness of the system. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s indication that the appointment of 374 new inspectors in 2006 made it possible to achieve a significant increase in the number of inspections, reduce the number of days necessary to process complaints relating to labour legislation and reduce the number of labour disputes through the strengthening of prevention functions. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to provide detailed information on the operation of the inspection system, and in particular to indicate the total number of workplaces liable to inspection by the inspection services and the number of inspections carried out over a specified period.

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