The request was made on the back of South Korea’s announcement to curtail migrant workers amid the deepening global financial crisis, creating confusion among aspiring Korean jobseekers.
“We have sent a letter to the South Korean government through Foreign Ministry on Thursday, requesting it not to apply the new move in the case of Nepali workers,” said Yubaraj Pandey, secretary of Ministry of Labor and Transport Management.
The third largest Asian economy had earlier this week announced to freeze new arrivals by February’s end, in a bid to cope with rising unemployment within the country amid slowing economic performance.
Korea is accepting Nepali workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) as per a labor contract signed by the two governments in 23 July, 2007. The contract allows Korean employers to recruit foreign workers entitled to perks and benefits on par with their local counterparts.
Moreover, Pandey informed myrepublica.com that the Korean government has assured Nepal-based EPS officials those workers who have already signed labor contracts with Korean employers will not be affected by the fresh move.
“All workers who signed labor contracts with Korean firms will be recruited. Those scheduled to leave for Korea will also not be affected,” added Pandey.
So far, 2,787 Nepali workers have already signed labor contracts with Korean employers. Of them, 1,776 have already joined their respective jobs in five different Korean sectors - agriculture, fishery, manufacturing, construction and service.
Likewise, 144 workers are set to fly to Korea on Monday, and an additional 138 workers are scheduled to leave for Korea on the 12th of January, 2009.
Korean employers have been recruiting foreign workers under the Employment Permit System (EPS) from different countries since 2004 to fulfill their increasing demand for workers.
After Nepal became an official labor source country in 2007, more than 6,500 Nepali workers were selected and sent to job rosters of South Korea’s Human Resource Department. The department has been gradually sending job contracts to Nepali workers as per demand of local employers. Universal Traveler, a designated travel agent, has been flying Nepali workers to Korea every Monday.
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