S Korea extends job tenure for EPS workers

South Korea has extended the job tenure of Employment Permit System (EPS) workers to 10 years and eight months. The South Korean Ministry of Labour had proposed to extend the job tenure of EPS workers in February. Currently, EPS workers can work for a maximum of four years and 10 months.

The South Korean government approved the proposal last week. “The changes will be applied to all EPS countries in two phases,” Korea Times reported. According to the plan, the extended tenure will be applicable to workers from four countries — Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Pakistan — from July 2, 2012.

The extended period provision will be applied in other EPS countries including Nepal from October. Similarly, the provision will be applied to Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Mongolia from October.

South Korea has changed the job period for two reasons — to retain skilled workers and reduce the number of illegal workers. EPS workers from the third world used to stay back illegally as the destination offers lucrative salaries.

Similarly, only small and medium level agriculture and manufacturing industries will benefit from the change. According to the Labour Ministry, only agriculture firms with less than 30 workers and manufacturing industries with less than 50 workers can extend the job tenure of their EPS workers.

According to the South Korean government, there were about 167,000 illegal foreign workers at the end of 2011. The government is planning to reduce at least 15,000 illegal workers in 2012 and it started arresting illegal workers from early May.

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