Promised protection, Reality falls short
Protection for workers and partner companies in coal-fired power generation has long been promised, yet the reality tells a different story.
The concept of a "Just Transition" has been discussed in Korea since 2021, with the goverment promising proactive job transitions for coal power workers. However, at the very moment when the government is attempting to implement a coal phase-out policy, it has been revealed that workers are not being adequately protected.
Korea Western Power Co., Ltd. is currently providing job transition training, but according to a site worker, there is no institutional support for obtaining the certifications necessary to move into other power sectors. Moreover, some point out that current discussion focus primarily on main contractors, revealing a lack of clear intent or concrete guidelines to protect partner companies. Plans to reassign workers to other power stations have also been criticized for failing to consider the local communities where workers have lived and worked for decades.
This does not mean that energy transition should not proceed. However, given that this issues are deeply connected to the lives of individual workers, the lack of sufficient discussion and preparation deserves serious criticism. To genuinely respect those who have long supported Korea's energy supply, this issue must be addresed more seriously through sincere and inclusive communication.
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