Death of MBC weathercaster sparks calls for better working conditions for freelancers

Death Of Mbc Weathercaster Sparks Calls For Better Working Conditions For Freelancers

Weathercaster Oh Yoanna / Captured from her social media

Weathercaster Oh Yoanna / Captured from her social media

By Lee Hae-rin

The demise of MBC weathercaster Oh Yoanna, together with an ongoing investigation into office bullying allegations associated to her case, have sparked elevated requires higher working circumstances for freelancers.

Oh died in September final 12 months, though the reason for demise was not disclosed on the time. A former Ok-pop idol trainee, she joined MBC as a contract weathercaster in 2021, the place she offered each weekday and weekend climate stories.

“Though it’s late, I hope the reality surrounding Oh Yoanna’s demise will probably be revealed with none injustice,” Ahn Gwi-ryeong, a spokesperson for the principle opposition Democratic Social gathering of Korea (DPK), mentioned Monday.

She urged MBC, which launched an inner investigation into Oh’s case final week, to „not flip away from the unspeakable ache of freelance staff“ and emphasised the necessity to abolish illegal hiring practices.

“We urge broadcasters, together with MBC, to enhance their irregular and unlawful employment construction,” she mentioned, “We must always take this chance to essentially look into the follow of hiring nonregular staff that’s prevalent amongst broadcasters.”

DPK Rep. Lee So-young criticized the unfair hiring practices for freelancers amongst broadcasting firms, referencing MBC’s unjust dismissals of freelance information writers in 2019 and 2020.

“If a public broadcaster continues to take advantage of such employment practices with out self-reflection, it will likely be troublesome for the information from that broadcaster to achieve public belief,” she mentioned.

The ruling Individuals Energy Social gathering’s (PPP) lawmakers additionally denounced such hiring practices, saying that the Ministry of Employment and Labor, not MBC, ought to examine Oh’s case.

“This case encompasses the nation’s labor points, together with irregular staff, discrimination in opposition to contract staff, office bullying, industrial accidents, violations of the regulation on the punishment of significant disasters, alleged cover-up by MBC and secondary abuse of bereaved households,” PPP Rep. Joo Jin-Woo mentioned on social media on Monday, urging the labor ministry to start overseeing the investigation.

One other PPP consultant, Yoon Sang-hyun, additionally mentioned Sunday, “It’s questionable whether or not MBC, which belatedly launched the investigation in response to rising criticism after 4 months of inaction, is prepared to totally examine the matter and discover out the reality of the case.”

The Mapo Police Station in Seoul launched a preliminary investigation on Friday, responding to an internet grievance concerning Oh’s case, in response to the police on Monday.

In the meantime, a latest survey discovered that one in 4 workplace staff in Korea have labored underneath freelancing contracts, with two-thirds of them having been employed underneath unlawful contracts.

In response to a survey carried out by the civic labor advocacy group Gapjil 119, which polled 1,000 workplace staff from Dec. 2 to Dec. 11, 27.4 % of the respondents reported having signed illegal freelancing contracts whereas in search of employment.

Over half, or 57 %, mentioned they’ve skilled disadvantages concerning minimal wage and the 4 main insurance coverage advantages, whereas 46.9 % mentioned they’ve by no means acquired compensation for such losses.

Notably, 44.9 % mentioned they had been unaware that freelance staff can’t be protected underneath the Labor Requirements Act and file complaints concerning office bullying.

“All laborers, no matter their employment varieties and circumstances, ought to be protected by fundamental labor legal guidelines of their rights to unionize and be shielded from unfair remedies, discriminations [and] office bullying,” the group’s coverage staff chief and lawyer Kwon Doo-seop mentioned.

The group additionally highlighted the necessity for Korea to ratify the Worldwide Labour Group’s (ILO) Violence and Harassment Conference, which acknowledges the appropriate of everybody, together with freelancers, to work free from violence and harassment.

“The federal government and the rival events ought to ratify ILO Conference No. 190 and revise the anti-bullying regulation within the office to use it to all staff,” Kwon mentioned.

As of March, 46 nations have ratified the conference, together with Zambia, the most recent to hitch this January.

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