Seoul Metropolitan Council speaker vows to protect sanitation workers' right to rest

The Seoul Metropolitan Council has launched a public-private partnership to guarantee sanitation workers' right to rest, aiming to provide field workers with safer and more comfortable break facilities.

The council signed an MOU with Ipark Hyundai Development and Habitat for Humanity Korea on Thursday to advance a project improving working conditions for sanitation workers.

Under the agreement, the three organizations will jointly carry out a three-year break room improvement project for sanitation workers from 2026 through 2028.

The council will handle administrative support for the project, while Ipark Hyundai Development will provide funding for facility upgrades and employee volunteer activities. Habitat for Humanity Korea will oversee the project as a whole, coordinating between the organizations and managing on-site improvement work.

The three parties plan to share project plans and progress updates regularly and will also explore additional support measures for sanitation workers.

Seoul Metropolitan Council Speaker Im Man-gyun said a break room is "not simply a place to rest, but the most basic space for preserving the dignity of labor" for those who work hard in the field. "The Seoul Metropolitan Council will work alongside the two organizations to look after conditions on the ground, so that sanitation workers can rest comfortably and help brighten Seoul's mornings," he added.

The council has continued to pursue policy measures to improve conditions for sanitation workers. Speaker Im presented the first commendation issued by the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council Speaker to sanitation workers across Seoul's 25 autonomous districts last August. On Oct. 6, the council held a forum to discuss securing adequate staffing levels and fiscal burden-sharing arrangements for sanitation workers.

Through this agreement, the council plans to push ahead with break room improvements for sanitation workers while working with relevant organizations to identify additional support measures.