Last year, the mass dismissal of 170 laborers at Hongik University(HIU) was a big shock because this miserable incident happened in such a place, like university as an educational institution. After the new year's holidays, I went to the HIU. I thought the quarrel had finished long ago but it hadn't seemed to become quiet. I could meet a cleaning woman in the group of laborers. "There are no working laborers here. Our salary is 750,000 won monthly and we were fired in a day. We are not going to give up until we a solution is found." She sturdily said. HIU's temporary employees usually work about ten hours per day and in the weekend they work in rotation. They don't have any holidays. Also their work environment is very poor, according to the written protest on the wall of HIU' building : there was no place to rest and their food expenses were too little to have a meal. I made a conclusion this problem may have to do with our university, so I interviewed our university's workers if their workplace had also deteriorated like HIU.

Firstly, I went to Cheonan campus. With half filled with anticipation and half filled with uneasiness, I searched for cleaning laborers. As they finished lunch time, I could see some of laborers cleaning the plates.
"I am here to interview temporary employed people like you, who are working hard." A cleaner woman took me to the rest area. Then, an elder woman said with a smile "We don't feel any burden with our work. We work with pleasure." The rest area, where the laborers can have a rest, was kept in a good condition. There were refrigerators, personal locker rooms, a sofa. The room was warm because of a calefacient. Indeed, it was much better than a club room. The woman that I had a conversation with, has worked here almost during 23 years. She asked me to keep her in anonymous but anyone can recognize who she is because of her heavy make up and her chief position.
The total number of temporary employed people in both campuses is 154 and 64 laborers belong in Cheonan campus (according to the 2010 university current state of staff). However, each campus belongs to different janitorial service company. In the case of Cheonan campus, the laborers earn 750,000 won monthly. This salary  excludes insurance and other basic benefits. Food and transportation expenses are not given so they bring lunch from their house. However, they work for ten hours per day and they don't have to work on the weekend unless they are oin special duty. Moreover, they receive monthly pay and two days off work. Despite the low salary, they were quite satisfied with it. I asked her some questions below:

Q. Don't you feel tired while you clean? Cleaning is also a physical work.
"Of course cleaning is tiring. If there is trash thrown on the floor that we have just cleaned, it irritates all of us. Cleaning itself is hard work, indeed. But the university gives consideration to us. Also I love dankookians, they are just like my sons and daughters."

Q. I think you have some favor to ask Dankookians.
"Please, don't spit on the floor. It's too hard for us to clean saliva. And I don't understand why students take toilet paper away. If you keep good manners with these two things, you are all angels."

I asked her about HIU's incident. She carefully answered "I feel sad for what happened because the mass dismissal was an unusual incident in the university. No matter how temporary employed people we are, nobody can make a dismissal. In my opinion, they have a serious problem that we don't know."
After a long conversation, the elder woman offered me to have a sleep in the rest area. They gave me many snacks and too many good things to me so, I couldn't dare to have a rest with them but the light had already turned off long ago. Their break time flowed away.

They are faces of HIU's temporary workers. We hope they find a smile on their faces as DKU's workers.

Next day, I went to Jukjeon campus. As it is larger than Cheonan, I was sure that there must be many laborers. I searched for some of them by going around in each college, but it was hard to see any laborers. So, I changed my way and went to the students hall but the cleaners who worked there said 'they had transfer of their rounds, so they were not in charge here anymore' and they refused to have an interview. It seems there is a transfer of personal round in Jukjeon campus unlike Cheonan campus. I asked a question to her "How is your work going on" and at least, they just answered "The working environment is quite good here. We have a rest area and in the vacation we just work for only six hours." At least it showed there is place to rest. Linger in expectation, I asked to the guard and tried to interview him but he didn't accept it. With a bitterness, I turned away again then I heard cleaning workers giving a quick pace saying 'Have a break and let's clean over there.''Then I'll help you.' They seemed to be very united in collaborating with each other. At the end, the laborers avoided an interview concerning their workplace because they were too busy. In a good way, they were faithful to their job.

Few days after going to both campuses, fortunately, I could realize our university provided different benefits, giving careful concern to them much more than other universities. Laborers salary is lower than what they have deserved. Even their work looks backbreaking to us, but it is pleasurable work to them. Why don't you guys say 'good morning' and 'thank you' to them who are working quietly behind us?