Hotel and tourism workers in Korea call for sustainable jobs, denounce rampant outsourcing

On World Tourism Day (September 27) the IUF-affiliated KFSU held a press conference in front of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to bring attention to the harsh realities faced by hotel workers in Korea today – where luxurious hotels are increasingly characterized by appalling working conditions.

Kang Gyuhyok, President of KFSU, criticized the government’s exclusive focus on tourism revenue while neglecting the conditions of workers who are a driving force in a growing tourism industry. Rampant outsourcing and casualization since 1997 undermined working conditions in hotels, especially in departments such as housekeeping.

KFSU declared that sustainable jobs are the key to sustainable tourism, calling on the government to repeal legislation that allows the unrestricted use outsourcing and precarious work.