Industrial Relation Under the Employment Permit System (EPS) in South Korea

South Korea has become a labour importing country to overcome its problems of labour shortages. The early programs to employ foreign workers, however, have an implication to foreign workers because of its natures that did not give foreign workers the same rights before the law as the native workers, leading foreign workers to frequently experienced discrimination and unjust treatment in Korea. The revised program the Employment Permit System (EPS) was a result from the pressures of many parties that wished forequal rights and respect for the migrant workers. Nevertheless, the EPS itself has clauses that make it difficult for foreign workers to exercise their rights on industrial relations such as setting up trade unions, involving in collective bargaining and conducting strikes. The development of strong labour unions in South Korea during the past decades did not change much the industrial relation situations of migrant workers in South Korea. Almost all migrant labours are not unionized and have no organization that can represent them to defend their rights as workers. This book is based on the field research in South Korea in order to answer the question what are the role of the Korean government, employers, and the trade unions related to improve the industrial relation of migrant workers (including Indonesian migrant workers or Tenaga Kerja Indonesia). This book assesses the dynamics of the labour movement in South Korea to understand the dynamics of the migrant worker movement, analyzes the role of the Korean government in industrial relations in the country, and analyzes the impact of Employment Permit System (EPS) implementation to migrant workers’ industrial relations. The contents of this book are very useful for readers who have a concern to Indonesian migrant workers in South Korea or studying foreign workers employment policies.