Dismissed Women Workers Sue

Lawsuits brought in the course of 'restructuring' by dismissed women workers are evidence of continuous protestations of sexism in the workplace.
Two women who were forcibly made to leave their jobs at the National Agricultural Co-operative Federation (NACF), on June 4 filed a lawsuit at the Seoul District Court to fight for their reinstatement, saying that 'It is unfair that we should be dismissed because our partners work in the same company.'
They argue that they were pressed to submit their resignations as opposed to their husbands, who were kept in work to keep one of the couple in employment, but which they say amounts to inequality.
However, a company subcontracted by Kwangyang Steel which was deemed to have acted inappropriately by the Central Labor Committee when it fired four women, has filed a lawsuit in complaint at the judgement.
It said in its defence, 'As our company can be required to work 24 hours a day, we were forced to fire the four women, as the labor code states that women cannot work over 150 hours overtime a year. This was unavoidable and yet we have been penalized.'
Hwashik Bong : trojans@joongang.co.kr