BD workers seeking job in South Korea demand recruitment on \\\'serial basis\\\'

FE Report

Bangladeshi workers seeking jobs in South Korea urged the government to ensure that the Korean authorities recruit manpower on 'serial basis' from the job roster of the Korean human resources department (HRD).

They placed their demand Tuesday while observing hunger strike at the city's Central Shaheed Minar protesting the issuance of visas to the workers who passed the Employment Permit System (EPS) and Computer Based Test (CBT) in 2013, bypassing the workers those passed the same exam in 2012.

Bangladesh inked a deal on the Korea Bangladesh Employment Permit System (EPS) with the Korean government on June 4, 2007 that established the principles of sending manpower from Bangladesh to Korea.

Under the recruitment process, the HRD department of South Korea selects workers randomly from the job roster. But presently the authorities concerned are violating the system, alleged the workers.

They said some 460 visas were issued in February, 2014 to the workers who passed EPS-CBT in 2013, bypassing 1,200 workers who qualified the same tests in 2012.

The job seekers also urged the Korean authorities to stop issuing 'new circular' unless the recruitment of workers enlisted in 2012 and 2013 were done as the CBT certificates stay valid for only two years.

The workers will also form a human chain today (Wednesday) in front of the National Press Club in protest against Tuesday's police action on the demonstrating job seekers.

Some 10,000 Bangladeshi workers have so far got jobs in South Korea through a government-to-government initiative under the EPS since 2008.