외국인근로자의 사업장 변경의 제한에 관한 연구

Study on Regulations of Workplace Relocation for Foreign Workers

우리나라에 외국인이 입국해서 근로를 제공하게 된 것은 1991년 10월경 ｢외국인 산업기 술연수 사증발급에 관한 업무지침｣(법무부 훈령 제255호)이 시행되면서부터이다. 외국인근 로자는 이후 ‘산업연수생’이라는 이름으로 국내에 입국하여 단순노무 분야의 근로를 제공해 왔지만, 연수생 신분이라는 제약 때문에 근로기준법의 적용을 제대로 받지 못해 낮은 임금과 부당 근로를 강요당하면서 점차 사업장을 이탈하여 불법체류자가 되는 사례가 증가했다. 이에 따라 국내 노동시장의 혼란, 중소기업의 인력난, 외국인근로자에 대한 인권침 해, 국가이미지 실추 등 사회적·경제적 문제가 발생하자 2003년 8월 16일 사업주가 단순 노무 분야 외국인근로자를 합법적으로 고용할 수 있고, 정부가 외국인근로자를 직접 관리 하도록 하는 ‘외국인근로자 고용허가제’를 도입하는 내용의 ｢외국인근로자의 고용 등에 관한 법률｣(이하 ｢외국인고용법｣이라 한다)이 제정되어 2004년 8월 17일 시행되었다. 그러나 ｢외국인고용법｣ 제25조는 고용허가제를 통해 국내에 입국한 외국인근로자의 사업장 변경을 원칙적으로 제한하고, 예외적으로 ｢외국인고용법｣ 제25조 제1항에서 규정한 사유에 해당하는 경우에만 외국인근로자가 사업장을 변경할 수 있도록 규정하고 있다. 또한 외국인근로자의 사업장 변경 횟수를 3년의 취업활동 기간 동안 원칙적으로 3회로 제한 하고 있어, 외국인근로자의 강제노동 및 인권침해 문제는 끊임없이 지적되고 있다. 그리고 헌법재판소는 외국인근로자의 사업장 변경의 제한으로 심판대상이 되었던 구 ｢외 국인고용법｣ 제25조 제4항 및 구 ｢외국인고용법 시행령｣ 제30조 제2항이 위헌이 아니라고 판시하였다[헌법재판소 2011. 9. 29. 선고, 2007헌마1083, 2009헌마230·352(병합) 결정]. 구 ｢외국인고용법｣ 제25조 제4항 및 구 ｢외국인고용법 시행령｣ 제30조 제2항이 개정되었지만, 현행 ｢외국인고용법｣ 제25조 및 현행 ｢외국인고용법 시행령｣ 제30조 또한 외국인근로자의

In October 1991, when foreigners first came to Korea and started their labor, the ｢business guidance about visa issuance for industrial training of foreign workers｣ (Ministry of Justice Instructions, Article 255) was implemented. Since then, foreign workers started to work in Korea under the name of ‘industrial trainees’. But it was difficult for them to be recognized under the ｢Labor Standards Act｣ because of their status as industrial trainees. They were often enforced accept low wages and to work under unjust conditions, which resulted in their breakaways from their workplaces and becoming illegal immigrants. This caused various social and economic problems such as confusion in the domestic labor market, manpower shortage in small businesses, human rights violation for foreign workers, and loss in the national image of Korea. To resolve these problems, the ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣ was enacted in 16th August 2003, which introduced the ‘Employment Permit System for Foreign Workers’ in which business owners could legally employ foreign workers for labor and the government could directly manage foreign workers. It was implemented on 17th August 2004. However, in principle, the Article 25 of the ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣ regulates workplace relocation of foreign workers who came to Korea via the employment permit system. It only exceptionally allows their workplace relocation if foreign workers are relevant only to the reasons defined in the Section 1, Article 25 of the ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣. Also, in principle, their relocation during the 3 years of their working period is allowed up to 3 times. So there are still problems existing for foreign workers of enforced labor and human rights violation. Furthermore, the Constitutional Court ruled that the Section 4, Article 25 of the old ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣ and the Section 2, Article 30 from the Enforcement Decree of the old ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣, which had become the subjects of judgment due to their regulations on workplace relocation, are not illegal. Though both, the Section 4, Article 25 of the old ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣ and the Section 2, Article 30, from their Enforcement Decree were revised, they in principle still regulate foreign workers’ workplace relocation and allow it in only exceptional cases. They are still the same as in the past as to the point that they are regulating the number of foreign workers’ workplace relocation. Thus, foreign workers are still exposed to the dangers of enforced labor and human rights violation caused by the regulated opportunities of workplace relocation according to the ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣. This problem resulted from the misunderstanding of the current conditions related to the foreign workers’ workplace relocation. Such conditions should be applied and the decision of the Constitutional Court should be reconsidered to revise the ｢Act on the Employment, etc. of Foreign Workers｣ which regulated legally possible reasons and numbers of foreign workers’ workplace relocation. Additionally, after distinguishing between the transient and the long-term stayers, it is necessary to implement the employment permit system for foreign workers staying less than 2 years and the labor permit system for longer than 2 years.