▲ Gyeonggi Arts Center Union Press Conference
The labor union has urged Gyeonggi Province to improve systems regarding the issue of unpaid overtime wages for the Gyeonggi Provincial Art Troupe under the Gyeonggi Arts Center.
Some 20 officials from the Gyeonggi Arts Center branch of the Korean Public Service Workers' Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a press conference at 10:00 a.m. on October 20 in the lobby of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government office, urging, "Gyeonggi Province must take responsibility and pay the overdue overtime wages."
They criticized, "Members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Art Troupe have signed contracts for 20 hours of work per week, but overtime is essential due to individual practice, night performances, and holiday shows. However, overtime pay has never been paid."
The union claims that although Gyeonggi Provincial Art Troupe workers are eligible for overtime pay as they did not sign inclusive wage contracts, the Gyeonggi Arts Center has only been providing compensatory leave.
Under current law, when labor and management agree, leave can be granted exceptionally instead of overtime pay, but the union explains that no such agreement existed.
Accordingly, the union explained that after submitting a petition to employment authorities last year and withdrawing it upon receiving a promise of improvement from management, they re-filed the petition this past April as the practice of unpaid overtime has still not improved.
The union emphasized, "Unpaid wages from June to December of last year alone amount to 541.01 million won. The structural cause of wage arrears is Gyeonggi Province's control over labor costs, and the province must step up to make substantive institutional improvements."
An official from the Gyeonggi Arts Center stated, "The center has compensated art troupe members for overtime work through methods such as adjusting working hours and substituting holidays. Although we have not reached a labor-management agreement until recently, we will make multi-faceted efforts moving forward."
(Photo: Provided by Gyeonggi Arts Center Union, Yonhap News)
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