24 South Korean families cancel contracts with Filipino helpers as pay dispute, curfew mar scheme
The pilot programme aimed at easing the country’s fertility crisis faces challenges ahead of national expansion, sparking calls for review
A total of 24 households in Seoul were found to have cancelled their contracts to hire Filipino workers as their nannies under the city’s pilot programme, according to officials.
As of Thursday morning, 98 Filipino carers were employed by 169 households as full-time or part-time workers, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labour and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Over the past month, the programme has received positive reviews from many households, but it has also sparked criticism.
With officials planning to expand the project nationwide next year after a six-month test period, many are calling for a thorough review to address various issues.
One of the issues is related to the treatment of the foreign workers. The nannies, who completed 160 hours of specialised training, experienced delays in receiving their training allowances.
Two certified housekeeping companies were supposed to pay each housekeeper 950,000 won (US$711) in advance and then claim reimbursement from the Ministry of Employment and Labour. However, due to financial constraints, these payments were delayed. Although the overdue allowances were eventually paid, only two weeks’ worth were deposited on September 20.