Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poof]

Some time ago, I with a couple of friends had raised the teacher's union issue...
We had referred to a 'union', when we had explained that in fact we wanted a 'group of sorts' rather than an outright union, only to be sleighted that a union can't exist...yada yada...

As an update on what our group has been doing, we were repeatedly amazed (or should we really have been amazed?) that when we approached members of the labour and immigration departments and lawyers, even the hagwon owner's association etc with specific names and details of recruiters who were running illegal practices, essentially very little interest was taken. On more than one account, we were effectively told that these things were to be expected, and that as foreigners, it was our duty to see that we were aware of situations before entering into any employment. One senior in an immigration department also told us bluntly that if we didn't like employment practices here, then we shouldn't have come in the first place, and should stay at home to look for a job. One of my friends who is female, was talked to as if it was the necessity of men only to 'conduct such transactions constructed of what they are', (or some archaic equivalent), and that as a female, she wouldn't understand the importance of it. Well, I think we got just as much crap as everyone thought we were presenting them with!

Anyways, we have resigned on our cause to try and improve things on a noticeable scale for teachers here. Revolution needs someone with a bit more clout, as well as, I suggest, a few changes in those at the top of the pecking order.

I would just like to add 2 rules finally, for anyone considering a job here:

1 - DON'T START TEACHING UNTIL YOU ARE IN THE POSSESSION OF A VISA - without a visa, you are just setting yourself up for disaster. Even if you want to help your seemingly kind, desperate employer, DON'T start work without the visa.

2 - IF YOU ARE OVERSEAS, ASK FOR THE NUMBER OF ANY ENGLISH TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL YOU ARE GOING TO WORK AT, AND ENSURE THAT THE TEACHER YOU ARE IS SPEAKING ON A PHONE OUT OF THE PRESENCE OF OTHER STAFF WHEN YOU ASK THEM QUESTIONS.


I'm also curious as to what has happened to people who have accepted one of these many 'after school teaching programs' within public schools. Many of them run an odd payment system into dual bank accounts. There haven't seem to have been many complaints regarding this payment system on this site. Are teachers then satisfied with the payment method?

[cruisemonkey]

No, you should have not have been amazed. I think your downfall stems from your assumption Korean labour law is akin to that in the 'West'.