Korea: Heads Up, Foreign Teachers get the go to start a Union
Incheon, in retaliation to a particular ‘hagwan’/institute’s failure to pay employees on time and threatening to dismiss teachers unjustly, the local government gave the go ahead for teacher’s to form a union.
Foreign teachers from around the world have come to know Korea as a place to be cautious of English institutes. Late pay, unjust layoffs, unpaid overtime and inadequate living accommodations are just some of the things that a vast number of teachers have experienced. By allowing teachers to form unions, Korean establishments might be forced into re-evaluating past action.
Jung said five native English teachers at a private language institute in Incheon were given approval to establish the union by a ward office on Nov. 24.This is the second legally formed foreign teacher’s union permitted in Korea. The first foreign teacher’s union was permitted in Gangnam, 2005.
The union, headed by Evan Lloyd from the United States, has nine members, he said. Native English teachers belonging to the institute are eligible to join, he added. The union head was unable to be immediately reached for comment.
A pattern of "unlawful" behavior by the employer - unpaid overtime and threats of dismissal - drove them to unionize, Jung said.
The five founding members decided to set up the union after the employer forced them to work 40 hours per week rather than 30 hours stipulated in their contract. - Korea Times
Foreign teachers from around the world have come to know Korea as a place to be cautious of English institutes. Late pay, unjust layoffs, unpaid overtime and inadequate living accommodations are just some of the things that a vast number of teachers have experienced. By allowing teachers to form unions, Korean establishments might be forced into re-evaluating past action.
We are forever hearing how terrible hagwans and the Korean kids. Why work there? There are plenty of uni jobs here in China. The pay and cost of living are lower, but the hours are also lower and the job satisfaction high. What's more there is extra work at good language school.
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There are plenty of "EFL horror stories" coming out of China. Bad news simply gets more press than good news.
What's more, there are plenty of other reasons other than work why one would live in a particular country.
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Hey Joel:
I'm in Korea now but wondering some things about China because I know there's lots of jobs there.
Do they restrict your internet access? I surf the net a lot and do some internet marketing so......my net access is important to me.
And ......do you ever get the feeling that you're 'watched' by the government?
BTW: I've got a Masters in International Business and and undergrad degree in Music Ed, plus military experience and business ownership experience.
Best regards,
Art
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Hi Jeff:
Would you mind telling me more about your experience in China. One of the reasons I stay in Korea is because of the pay, but on the other hand, if as you say there's plenty of 'outside' work in China, then I might not mind coming there.
Regards,
Art Williams
p.s. I don't know if you can PM me here or how that would work. My Skype is 'wanderingsalsero'
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The Hagwans seem to be the worst offenders but even government-run schools contravene many of the "Golden Rules" that necessitate a healthy relationship between employer and employee (EFL Teacher).
It not only affects the particular Teacher(s) but is also responsible in my view for the obvious lack of success with the whole "Teaching English as a Foreign Language" effort in RSK:
The thousands of disillusioned Teachers that are replaced every year with rookies that will follow suit, tells a story of very few EFL Teachers that ever become effective in their jobs and ultimately make little or no contribution at all.
The need for a strong union or at least a H.R. department dedicated to resolving
employee/ employer conflict is desperately needed!
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This is great news! I was fired TWO weeks before my contract expired after having worked for the school two years. It was devastating. The school shared my termination notice with the entire staff and then lied to the parents about my termination. Fortunately, I had been doing private lessons for an attorney. He and his assistant helped me exponentially to make sure I got was was owed to me. Without them, I never would have had any success. All the offices set up to "help" foreign teachers had no one who spoke English. I hope that this union will be able to accomplish something and isn't just the government's way of pacifying the teachers, while actually doing nothing. Good luck!
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Indeed it is great news, however the union formed is for just one school. It is not designed to help all foreign teachers. Perhaps this is a sign for things to come, but it still remains illegal (from my understanding) for foreigners to start up unions... with exception of these two.
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I agree that unions are appropriate. We foreigners are continually at a disadvantage, and all the employers know it, because we don't speak the language. And in most cases we don't even have the time or even know where to go for help.
I think unions would keep our employers more consistently honest.
Regards,
Art
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The public school system in Korea has become an increasingly unfriendly place for foreigners, as well.
1) The system simply isn't set up well. The parallel hagwon system reduces parents' collective motivation to force change through at the highest levels, where it is needed. Everyone feels the pressure of working in a poorly-designed system. Foreign teachers, at the bottom of the hierarchy, experience it full force.
Manipulation and threats are not exclusive to hagwons. Even at my ordinarily-fair school, every request for the past two months has been followed with "... or we won't renew your contract." Delightful.
Gross incompetence can produce much the same result as malice. I'm sure many people here are familiar with the 2009 fiasco of overhiring. Hundreds of teachers with visas, government contracts, and plane tickets were told not to come with less than a week's notice. They were suddenly jobless. High- and low-level incompetence both affect teachers' experience.
In the public school system, like in hagwons, there is no guarantee that you will be paid on time, that your promised reimbursements and bonuses will go through, or that your contract will be honored. The reliability of fair treatment from a public school contract is dwindling. The main advantage to public schools over hagwons is that no one has YET been dismissed just prior to the end of their contract. Yet.
I'd be overjoyed to teach in China, but the pay, once converted, wouldn't cover my student loans.
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