Stories of Cities Without Construction Workers? Traces of Hidden Labor and the Shadows of Urban Development

The city grows every day.

The city changes anew every day. The movement of cranes visible through the glass seems to symbolize the flow of time, slow yet constant, accompanying the city's growth. The high-rise buildings made of rebar and concrete pulse like living organisms. We pass through this city too habitually and carelessly. However, this spectacle does not grow on its own.

Hidden Pillars

Under the tall structures of the city, there exist people spending their days without sunlight. They exist namelessly and are easily forgotten. Yet, they are the 'hidden pillars' that support the foundation of this city and society. These are the construction day laborers who build the foundation with sweat, risk their bodies, and live through the exhausting schedules that repeat every day. They steadfastly support the city, more than any skill can.

Evolving Industries and Lost Positions

Industries are constantly evolving, and technology is advancing rapidly. We dream of a future that is 'faster' and 'more efficient', but those who have supported an era are losing their places in the wake of this speed. Economic downturns and waves of automation first hit the most vulnerable who are at the front lines. Standing in line for work in the darkness of dawn, one can truly grasp how precarious life is with just one word: 'there is no work'.

Reality of Construction Sites

A day on a construction site is a very exhausting reality. Workers toil in an environment filled with the noise of machinery and dust, amidst constant shouts and commands, but this becomes even more dangerous on rainy days. Safety regulations exist only on paper, and when an accident occurs, it's not just an individual's body that crumbles. When Jeju collapses as a result, the entire livelihood of that worker's family is also affected. All this suffering is borne solely by the individual.

Unrelenting Pain

Their daily lives are not well represented in the news and statistics. Even when they injure their knees, they continue to work, and when their hands are hurt, the continuity of their daily lives makes their pain even more silent. The term 'construction day laborer' seems to summarize their lives, yet society often watches them with prejudice. Their suffering is so ordinary that it fails to attract someone's attention, and in this way, their voices are being silenced.

Need for Change

Now is the time to change, especially in situations like this. The value of labor should not be measured simply by hourly rates, but based on the lives and dignities of each individual. The first thing that should be given to those who are the most qualified is respect. They should not be viewed merely as 'human resources' but respected as 'human beings', and policies and laws should protect them.

Guarantee of fundamental rights

The government must guarantee basic rights for temporary workers. The rights to health, safety, and rest are minimum conditions that should also be enjoyed. Companies, too, should not view them merely as labor but have the obligation to provide fair wages and a safe working environment.

The Value of Labor and Technology

Even in an era of technological advancement, the labor that creates cities is a value that can never be replaced. While automation changes many things, there are still people working on steel beams today. If we do not protect and respect their valuable lives, the development we speak of will be incomplete and unjust.

A warm society created together

If there is no life that disappears without a name, the world will become warmer. Just a little attention or a change in the system can guide someone's life. The most fundamental thing we can do is to be attentively united instead of indifferent. We must consider what kind of humans we will be over the cities they have built.