Gov't seeks to convert irregular public workers into regular employees

The government will seek to convert irregular workers in the public sector into employees on regular working contracts as part of its efforts to make sure they have better job security, sources said Thursday.

According to the finance ministry sources, the ministry is expected to report the plan to the presidential transition committee in a briefing on its 2013 policymaking scheduled for Sunday.

The plan seems to be in line with the campaign pledge of President-elect Park Geun-hye that she will convert irregular public workers into regular ones by 2015.

Subject to the conversion are those engaged in "constant" and "continuous" work in the public sector for two years or longer.

They should be employed through "direct" recruitment by individual agencies, the sources said.

The ministry will encourage public institutes to follow the government's recommendation by linking it with their business management assessment, they added.

As of the first half of last year, 288 public institutes, including state-run enterprises, employed a combined 293,495 people, of which irregular workers totaled 46,676 or 15.9 percent.

The move could help provide better job security for more workers in the public sector, observers said. Some still worry that it could run counter to the government's continued efforts aimed at slimming down the size of public institutes and enhancing their overall business efficiency. (Yonhap News)