Liberal presidential candidates wooed laborers Monday with promises to enhance their rights and ease their burdens, a series of pledges that coincided with Labor Day.
Ahn Cheol-soo of the center-left People's Party and Sim Sang-jeung of the progressive Justice Party held separate events to meet with laborers in Seoul as the presidential election closed to just eight days away.
Sim, a longtime advocate of labor rights, visited a bridge dedicated to Jeon Tae-il, a tailor who burned himself to death in 1970 while fighting for better working conditions at his textile firm.
On the bridge, which lies across Seoul's Cheonggyecheon stream, the candidate announced a "labor charter" detailing her plans to boost workers' rights.
Sim Sang-jeung (center), presidential nominee of the Justice Party, holds a press conference on the Jeon Tae-il Bridge in Seoul on May 1, 2017. (Yonhap)
"The spirit of respecting labor should be realized from the Constitution," she said. "The word 'work' should be replaced with 'labor' in all the provisions."
The former labor activist, who has recently ranked fourth in opinion surveys, called for revising the Constitution to stipulate the promotion of laborers' social and economic status as a constitutional value.
She also called for banning wage discrimination against irregular workers, the disabled and social minorities under the principle of "equal labor, equal pay."
"In a world ruled by profits, I will not forget the history of labor, which has fought to realize the values of labor," she said. "I will build a world that becomes a torch for all people who toil with sweat."
Ahn was also scheduled to visit the bridge to meet with youth laborers in front of a statue of Jeon, who died at age 22. But the plan was called off at the last minute due to protests by labor activists who accused the candidate of turning a blind eye to the plight of laborers.
The former software mogul instead held a press conference at his party's headquarters and vowed to solve the issues of youth unemployment and irregular workers with top priority.
"Together with the best experts and youth from all ideologies, regions and generations, I will properly respond to the era of the fourth industrial revolution, change the economic constitution and create food for the future," he said.
Ahn, who has ranked second in recent opinion surveys, also reiterated his pledges to raise young people's salaries at small and medium-sized firms to 80 percent of what their counterparts at large businesses receive, foster the growth of start-ups and scrap wage discrimination.
"I will have textbooks teach youth the basic labor rights and carry out labor education before employment," he said, addressing a group of construction workers, irregular laborers and youth workers. "Children should also know why Jeon Tae-il set himself on fire. I will ensure laborers receive fair treatment."
He promised to raise the minimum wage, reduce working hours and improve overall working conditions. (Yonhap)