[오늘뉴스=박상진 기자] Bucheon City Councilor Lee Jong-moon (Progressive Party, Ma constituency: Yakdae-dong, Middle School 1, 2, 3, and 4-dong) called for improved treatment of social welfare public officials during an administrative audit on the 22nd.
According to the Progressive Party Bucheon City Party, Bucheon City Council (Chairman Kim Byeong-jeon) Administrative Welfare Committee (Chairman Kwak Nae-kyung) and Vice Chairman Lee Jong-moon conducted an administrative audit of the Bucheon City Welfare and Hygiene Bureau and the Women and Youth Foundation on the 22nd, mainly focusing on labor issues such as expanding worker manpower, improving treatment, and employment stability. The emphasis was on improving the environment.
In a question with the Director of the Welfare and Sanitation Bureau, Rep. Lee Jong-moon said, “As the number of social welfare recipients is expanding, with the number of basic livelihood recipients in the district exceeding 30,000, the workload of welfare officials is also increasing rapidly,” and “Workers are suffering from heavy workloads, and the quality of welfare services is poor.” “It is bound to fall,” he pointed out. He continued, “The basis for quickly responding to the increasing demand for welfare from citizens is front-line civil servant workers,” and “appropriate staffing, including personnel expansion, is necessary.”
In response, the Director of Welfare and Sanitation Department responded, “We are aware of the excessive workload of social welfare public servants, and we will look for possible measures, such as organizational reorganization.”
The issue of living support workers was also discussed. Rep. Lee pointed out, “Living support workers are essential care workers who protect the daily lives of the elderly in an aging society, but they are contract workers on a one-year basis, so they leave the company at the end of the year, have permanent job insecurity, and are not eligible for service allowances,” and pointed out that they are under the direction of comprehensive welfare centers. He ordered strengthened supervision. Accordingly, the head of the integrated care department promised to improve employment conditions and strengthen command and supervision.
In addition, Rep. Lee proposed, “The Yoon Seok-yeol government abolished the Women’s Equality Counseling Center project, but Bucheon should guarantee a counseling project for victims of sexual violence and sexual harassment cases in the workplace,” and received a response that they would review it. He also received a response that he would review the ‘Labor and Human Rights’ project in the Women and Youth Foundation project. He also called for ‘expanding and strengthening education’ and elicited a response saying that it would be reflected in the project.
On this day, Rep. Lee also announced plans to propose an ‘Ordinance on Improvement and Support for Employment of Domestic Workers’ to ensure quality domestic labor services and domestic workers’ human rights and employment safety.
According to the Bucheon City Council website, Rep. Lee Jong-moon is a graduate of Inha University’s Department of History and a three-year graduate of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ Department of Trade. He served as the director of the Bucheon Irregular Labor Center, as the representative of the petitioner for the ordinance on establishing and operating Bucheon City’s public medical center, and currently co-joins the Bucheon City Regional Committee of the Progressive Party. He serves as chairman, co-representative of the Bucheon People’s Solidarity, and co-representative of the Bucheon City Council against Yoon Seok-yeol.
**What concrete policy changes could be implemented to improve job security and working conditions for living support workers, who are critical to providing direct care to vulnerable individuals?**
## Interview: Improving the Lives of Bucheon’s Social Welfare Workers
**Host:** Welcome to World Today News. Today, we’re delving into the crucial issue of social welfare service provision in Bucheon, South Korea. We are joined by two esteemed guests. Firstly, we have Councilor Lee Jong-moon, who recently spearheaded an administrative audit focusing on labor issues within Bucheon’s welfare system. Secondly, we have [Guest 2 Name], a social welfare professional with firsthand experience in Bucheon’s care network.
**Introduction:**
Councilor Lee, let’s start with your recent administrative audit. What prompted this focused examination of the welfare system, and what were the key concerns raised?
**Section 1: The Growing Demand for Social Welfare**
**Councilor Lee:**
* We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of beneficiaries requiring social welfare assistance in Bucheon. What specific challenges does this growing demand present to frontline workers and the overall system?
* How do you envision this growing demand evolving in the future, and what steps can be taken to proactively address these needs?
**Section 2: Workload and Treatment of Social Welfare Officials**
**Councilor Lee:**
* Your audit highlighted concerns about excessive workloads for social welfare officials. Can you elaborate on the nature of these workloads and the potential consequences for both the workers and the services they provide?
**[Guest 2 Name]:**
* From your experience, what are the day-to-day realities faced by social workers in Bucheon?
* How does their work environment and treatment impact their ability to provide effective care to vulnerable individuals?
*
**Section 3: Job Security and Support for Living Support Workers**
**Councilor Lee:**
* The article mentions your concerns about the precarious employment status of living support workers. Why is this a significant issue, and what solutions do you propose?
**[Guest 2 Name]:**
* What are the primary challenges faced by living support workers due to their contract-based employment?
* How does this impact their dedication, motivation, and ultimately, the quality of care they deliver?
**Section 4: Addressing Systemic Challenges and Promoting Change**
**Councilor Lee:**
* In your opinion, what are the most crucial systemic changes needed to improve the welfare system in Bucheon?
**[Guest 2 Name]:**
* What further actions can be taken by local communities, organizations, and individuals to support social welfare workers and enhance the quality of services provided?
**Conclusion:**
This has been a crucial conversation shedding light on the pressing needs within Bucheon’s social welfare system. We thank Councilor Lee and [Guest 2 Name] for their insightful contributions and call upon our viewers and readers to engage in this important dialogue and advocate for positive change.
![『From Japan’s 30 years of experience… 』 Shirakawa “Japan’s downfall was not due to a strong yen or financial prescriptions, but to the weakening of industrial competitiveness.” [김용출의 한권의책]](https://i0.wp.com/img.segye.com/content/image/2024/11/22/20241122504837.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "『From Japan’s 30 years of experience… 』 Shirakawa “Japan’s downfall was not due to a strong yen or financial prescriptions, but to the weakening of industrial competitiveness.” [김용출의 한권의책]")