PHL thanks Korea for allowing rehiring of foreign workers

The Philippines expressed its gratitude to South Korea for the passage of a law allowing the rehiring of foreign workers, including Filipinos.   Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Luis Cruz relayed the country's gratitude to Rep. Kang Sung-chun of the ruling Grand National Party on February 8.   According to a news release of the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), diplomats from six other embassies in Korea also expressed their thanks to Kang. "There are 278,000 foreign workers from 15 countries in South Korea as of last year, including 24,000 from the Philippines. Most of them are in the manufacturing, construction, agriculture and fisheries sector," the DFA said. Rehiring of foreign workers The South Korean Parliament recently adopted measures allowing the rehiring of foreign workers who are about to finish their contracts with Korean small and medium enterprises (SMEs) under the Employment Permit System (EPS). Together with nine other parliamentarians, Kang introduced  amendments that created Act. No. 11276 (Revision on the Act on Employment of Foreign Workers). The law was promulgated on February 1 this year and will take effect on July 2, 2012.   The new amendments will:

• reduce the waiting period of foreign workers who wish to return to South Korea after completing their contracts from six months to three months; and
• exempt them from taking the Korean language test and employment training.

  However, returning workers must:

• have no recorded transfer during the employment period except for justifiable cause;
• be employed in a sector still experiencing a labor shortage; and
• have new work contract before his/her return to South Korea.

Kang said the foreign workers labor standards in Korea are at par with other industrialized countries. Kang said foreign workers should have fond memories of their stay in Korea.   However, he also reminded foreign workers of the need to obey the host country's laws.   Cruz's suggestions   Meanwhile, Cruz raised suggestions aimed at further improving Korea's EPS law.   He suggested that the contract period of four years and 10 months be reviewed and the age limit be raised to take advantage of the worker's productivity and experience.   Foreign workers are only allowed to work in South Korea until age 38.   "Representative Kang responded positively and said that he would consider the age issue in future discussions in the National Assembly," the DFA said. "He likewise agreed to consider related issues raised by other diplomats, particularly labor conditions in the agricultural sector, and the possibility of allowing foreign workers in this sector to transfer to the manufacturing sector," the DFA added. - VVP, GMA News