24 South Korean families cancel contracts with Filipino helpers as pay dispute, curfew mar scheme

The pilot programme aimed at easing the country’s fertility crisis faces challenges ahead of national expansion, sparking calls for review

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Filipino women participating in a pilot nanny programme arrive at Incheon airport in South Korea on August 6. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

Published: 12:37pm, 4 Oct 2024Updated: 1:53pm, 4 Oct 2024

A total of 24 households in Seoul were found to have cancelled their contracts to hire Filipino workers as their nannies under the city’s pilot programme, according to officials.

As of Thursday morning, 98 Filipino carers were employed by 169 households as full-time or part-time workers, according to the Ministry of Employment and Labour and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

When the programme – designed to help alleviate South Korea’s fertility crisis – launched a month ago, 100 workers were sent to 142 households. However, 24 of these households cancelled their contracts midway due to scheduling issues, among other reasons, officials said. Later, two workers suddenly became unreachable, and 51 households were newly permitted to participate in the programme.

Over the past month, the programme has received positive reviews from many households, but it has also sparked criticism.

With officials planning to expand the project nationwide next year after a six-month test period, many are calling for a thorough review to address various issues.

One of the issues is related to the treatment of the foreign workers. The nannies, who completed 160 hours of specialised training, experienced delays in receiving their training allowances.