KATHMANDU: The process of sending workers to Korea for employment, which was halted due to the risk of coronavirus infection, would be resumed soon.
Similarly, the two-year term of the roster of those workers waiting to come to Korea after passing the Korean language test is to be extended by six months. The roster deadline was about to terminate.
Entry to Korea of migrant workers was made strict and the entire process of those coming to Korea through the employment permit system (EPS) was also postponed after the imposition of lockdown in Nepal to contain coronavirus infection.
The Migrants’ Trade Union (MTU) and KCTU held discussions with the Director of the Department for Migrant Workers of the Ministry of Labor and Employment here on Wednesday regarding issues concerning the migrant workers who have come here under EPS, and the entry of workers who have been barred from entering Korea due to the coronavirus pandemic by reoperation of all the stalled processes.
MTU president Udaya Rai said it was decided after the discussions with the Department officials that the term of the roster would be extended by six months and initiatives would be made for the entry of migrant workers by restarting the stalled process.
In the discussions, the MTU called for making provision for bringing at the earliest the migrant workers who are barred from entry to Korea and for extending the term of the workers who are included in the roster but could not come here due to coronavirus infection and whose term is nearing completion.
Similarly, the trade union had stressed on enforcement of the provision by which the company owner is not allowed to rescind the agreement when the worker is on leave and stopping exploitation on workers.
The ministry officials present in the talks said that the process of bringing new migrant workers, which was halted since March over the risk of coronavirus, has been started from Cambodia from last month.
They said arrangements would be made soon to bring the migrant workers from other countries, including Nepal.
The ministry officials also informed that the term of the workers whose work permit term is about to expire would be extended by six months.
Out of the total 56 thousand allotted quotas in 2020, 33 thousand 100 (59.15 per cent) permits were issued while only 6,074 new migrant workers have entered Korea until October.
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