Cheong Wa Dae Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung briefs reporters at Chunchugwan on Wednesday on the findings of a government probe into wage payment practices for sanitation workers. President Lee Jae Myung had directed officials at a senior secretaries meeting in February to conduct a comprehensive survey into whether local governments were complying with regulations requiring adequate wages for sanitation workers. [Yonhap]
Cheong Wa Dae Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung briefs reporters at Chunchugwan on Wednesday on the findings of a government probe into wage payment practices for sanitation workers. President Lee Jae Myung had directed officials at a senior secretaries meeting in February to conduct a comprehensive survey into whether local governments were complying with regulations requiring adequate wages for sanitation workers. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday ordered officials to strictly discipline those responsible for wage violations and to ensure prompt payment of any unpaid wages to sanitation workers, after receiving a briefing on a government probe into their pay, Cheong Wa Dae said.

Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the directive at a briefing at Chunchugwan, saying the Ministry of Interior and Safety had reviewed 2,462 cleaning service contracts awarded by local governments over the past three years to determine whether sanitation workers had been properly compensated.

The review found 586 cases in which adequate wages had been underreflected in the original contract documents, and 561 cases in which wages actually paid fell short of the amounts specified in those documents, Kang said. Investigators also identified numerous cases in which contractors had failed to operate a dedicated payroll account — a mandatory requirement — or had not followed proper procedures to verify that adequate wages were being paid.

Kang said the Ministry of Interior and Safety had notified local governments of the survey results and requested that audits be conducted, with disciplinary action against those responsible and penalties against the companies concerned where violations are confirmed. She added that the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and other related ministries plan to consult on institutional reforms and stronger oversight measures to prevent similar cases from recurring.

"The Lee Jae Myung administration will continue to work closely with local governments to protect workers' rights and ensure that a culture of fair contracting takes root on the ground," she added.


sang@heraldcorp.com