Filipino caregivers wave their hands as they arrive at Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
Filipino caregivers appeared to be excited about their new opportunities in Korea. Applications have been pouring in to hire them. Yet several risk factors could derail the ambitious efforts to help counter Korea's fertility crisis with the pilot project, which may or may not turn into a regular program after six months.
One of the issues is the ambiguous scope of work for the 100 workers, who arrived in Korea on Tuesday before their work scheduled to begin on Sept. 3.
According to the project document, approved by both Korean and Filipino governments, their primary role is to take care of “children and pregnant women and assist in carrying out daily activities such as cleaning, laundry and kitchen work related to caregiving.”
The workers “may also assist with incidental and light household management activities for cohabiting family members.” Some human rights activists think a lack of clarity in the scope of their roles could expose them to the risk of exploitation.
The vague terms, for example, could cause dispute between the workers who consider work not directly related to child care as something extra and the service users who consider it as part of their obligation. The word “light” can also be interpreted differently.
“Defining the range of housework is difficult, and different households have different needs. Thus, it is important to have an agreement on what to expect between the service providers and users to prevent friction,” Cha Mi-young, a project manager at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, told The Korea Times. “In collaboration with participating service firms, we will try our best to minimize that risk.”
If serious disputes arise and the companies fail to resolve the issues, the Ministry of Employment and Labor as well as the city government will step in to mediate.
Park Jong-pil, the ministry's spokesperson, said the central and city governments plan to form a joint consultative body with the companies to manage such matters in the coming weeks.
The committee is also expected to play a chief role if any serious problem occurs, such as a crime or a human rights violation committed against or by the workers.
Filipino caregivers load their luggage before getting on a bus parked outside Incheon International Airport, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
Another lingering issue is the high cost. When government officials came up with the policy idea of employing foreign workers to boost Korea's fertility rate ― the world's lowest level at 0.72 ― their plan was to use cheaper foreign labor to reduce the financial burden of Korean parents.
But the Minimum Wage Commission rejected their calls for lower wages for foreign workers last month, meaning that the Filipino caregivers would be paid 9,860 won ($7.12) hourly for their services this year and 10,030 won next year.
The monthly salary of 2,060,000 won for a full-time worker and social insurance fees required for using their services are considered too high for most Korean households, which, on average, earn 5.44 million won a month. Moreover, the participating companies are expected to raise their service charges once the project becomes a regular program, according to city officials.
This could raise skepticism of the scheme, from which both the rich can benefit.
Another potential area of concern is labor groups representing the rights of Korean workers, whose wages would be negatively affected by cheaper services provided by foreign laborers.
Kim Sa-gang, research fellow at Migration and Human Rights Institute, a Busan-based NGO, is one of many critics who believe protests from Korean caregivers would be inevitable.
“As shown in some industrial sectors, I think there will be disputes,” she said. “Labor groups might demand equal salaries for foreign workers (to protect their wage levels) or call for the government to stop (the project) … I think the latter is more likely.”