The 42nd Student Government Association Real Ewha's president Jung Yoon-ji (right) and vice-president Shin You-jin (left)
     Civic groups and students have united to protect the rights of janitors who work on campuses and in university hospitals. Called, “The Right to a Hot Meal,” the campaign will last all year. 
     “The campaign, is not only about food. The main purpose is to inform society about problems implicit in terms like ‘irregular workers’ and ‘minimum wage,’” said Ryu Nam-mi, who is in charge of unorganized and irregular worker issues for the Korean Public and Social Service Workers’ Union (KPSU). 
     “In the case of Duksung Women’s University, the staff lounge was improved after a labor union was established and made strong demands,” Ryu said.
     Ewha students from the Student Committee in Solidarity with Irregular Workers on Campus (SCIWC) are participating in the campaign.  
     According to the SCIWC, of the more than 180 female janitors at Ewha, about 130 are now members of a labor union launched on January 27, 2010. The Ewha Labor Union Branch belongs to Seoul-Incheon Public Service Branch of the KPSU. Their main demands include a five-day work week and improvements in the staff lounge.
     Although a janitorial service company hires and manages janitors on the Ewha campus, the labor union says the school is responsible for providing a staff lounge for meals and rest.
     According to janitors at Ewha, the janitorial companies demand that janitors perform tasks outside their job description, such as cleaning outdoors, raking fallen leaves and removing ice. Expenses for meals are not provided, and cooking in the staff lounge is forbidden.
Campaign signs asked participants to fill in the blank in the sentence, "Janitors eat cold meals in the bathroom because_____"

     Starting this year, janitors also begin their work day at 7 a.m. instead of 6:30 and quit at 4 p.m. instead of 4:30. No workers have been added and the workload remains the same.  
     “Shortening working hours does nothing for workers. They still have to go to work early to complete their jobs, but the extra time is not counted as overtime and they’re not paid for it,” said Hong Bo-ram (Philosophy, 4), a member of the SCIWC.
     One of the companies, Inkwang Engineering refused to comment on the issue and said they are now discussing the regulation. 
     The KPSU and the Ewha Labor Union Branch are negotiating with the janitorial companies after six demonstrations in March. Further actions on behalf of janitors will be planned depending on the negotiation’s outcome. 
     From March 3 to 5, groups including the KPSU, People’s Solidarity for Social Progress, Sarangbang Group for Human Rights and students from various universities gathered in front of the Sinchon train station to launch the campaign and celebrate the 100th International Women’s Day. 
     Members of the Ewha Labor Union Branch held an assembly on March 11 at the Ewha Campus Complex with about 70 workers and members of civic groups attending. Demonstrations against Ewha followed on March 16 and 18. The members handed students leaflets while shouting that janitors are neither disposable nor cleaning machines. 
     “All issues such as on office hours and overtime work should be negotiated with the companies, because they are employers. However, we also try to develop and repair poor environment as much as we are concerned,” said Kim Yong-wan, the vice-director of the Office of General Affairs. “Two months passed after the labor union was established, and it is such a short time to judge whether the situation got better or not. The problems should be compromised regarding each side’s interest.”

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