Jeonbuk Provincial Council to Establish Protection System for Platform Workers

Support Ordinance for Platform Workers Led by Kim Youngja Passes Plenary Session

Consulting, Safety, and Psychological Support Provided for Delivery and Designated Drivers

The Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Council has begun preparing measures to support the safety and livelihood stability of workers engaged in delivery, designated driving, and other platform-related jobs.

According to the provincial council on September 26, the “Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Ordinance on Support for Platform Workers,” sponsored by Council member Kim Youngja (Gimje District 2), recently passed the plenary session.

Yeongja Kim, Member of the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Provincial Assembly.

The ordinance focuses on systematically implementing support policies for platform workers. Jeonbuk Province will now be able to establish a comprehensive plan for supporting platform workers every five years and promote related programs.

The areas of support include legal, labor, and business consulting; safety education and provision of protective equipment for industrial accident prevention; support for livelihood stability and social insurance enrollment; and health checkups and counseling.

What stands out in this ordinance is that support for the mental health of platform workers is also included in its scope.

Counseling by specialists will be provided for workers experiencing occupational trauma due to verbal abuse, accidents, or work-related stress that can occur during platform labor. If necessary, these workers can also be linked to treatment facilities.

Platform workers are vulnerable to accident risks due to the nature of their work, and often have to handle on their own various issues such as conflicts with customers, unfair contracts, or disputes arising during work. The ordinance aims to shift the responsibility for such problems away from individuals alone and establish a public support system.

Kim Youngja stated, “Although platform workers perform labor similar to other workers, they sometimes do not receive adequate protection under existing labor laws due to the nature of their employment status. As the nature of work changes, policies to protect workers must also evolve accordingly.”

She further emphasized, “We must not leave accidents, mental health difficulties, and unfair contracts or disputes solely as individual burdens. Jeonbuk Province must strengthen the social safety net to ensure that new forms of labor do not fall into the blind spot of protection.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.