Delivery of new ships from South Korea is poised to meet considerable delay with shipyards facing a severe shortage of manpower as at least 1,100 Vietnamese welders are barred to enter Seoul due to carrying forged documents.
Shipyard owners now fear they might have to pay penalties for delayed delivery of vessels, in the absence of required Vietnamese workers who have 41% shares of welders in the Korean shipbuilding industry.
Local media reports say these workers were supposed to reach Korea by the third quarter of this year but they are actually barred by the Vietnamese authority after smelling rate as unlicensed brokers have submitted forged documents to send untrained welders to South Korea.
According to the country’s rules, foreign welders will have to have professional work experience of at least two years after they got licenses. They will also have to pass the scrutiny of work experience conducted by the Korea Offshore and Shipbuilding Association (KOSHIPA) held in their home countries concerned.
They will be eligible for the E-7 work visas after being successful in terms of these two requirements. However, many Vietnam workers who are enlisted to get the visa found not to have the experiences when tested by the KOSHIPA and also found the documents forged.
The misuse of E-7 work visas has forced the South Korean authorities to look for welders from other countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.
The country’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said it has formed a team to deal with the problem arisen related to labour shortage. “The ministry is working with Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia to substitute the welders,” noted the ministry.
In the shipbuilding industry welding is 70% of the total shipbuilding process thus South Korea has no other option but to hire welders from other countries as soon as possible to keep the industry afloat.
Local industry people fear they might have to pay as much as 500 billion won (US$356 million) as compensation.
Sharar Nayel
Asia Correspondent
