Corea, República de - Repression of migrants union and crackdown on illegal migrants (2010)

Migrant workers are subject to serious abuses of labour rights. While the laws offer them similar protection to local workers in terms of wages and basic conditions, in reality most are paid far less than their Korean counterparts and forced to work long hours. The government continues to refuse to register the Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU), and would not let it engage in trade union representation or bargaining. The MTU was founded in April 2005 and is a member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU).

A month long government initiative against undocumented migrants took place in October and November as part of a new plan to reduce the number by 90% by 2012. Methods used during the crackdown have been widely criticized as being inhumane and barbaric: houses and factories were entered with force and without warrants, and injuries were common. There are an estimated 190,000 undocumented migrant workers in South Korea. A recent Amnesty International report also noted the problem facing female migrant workers who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation and later risk being classed as illegal if they try to leave their employer.

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