S. Korean PM urges gov't to adjust working hours of construction, engineering laborers

Seoul's Prime Minister has ordered officials to come up with effective countermeasures againt the extreme weather, which has led to dozens of deaths and illnessesLee Nak-yon says he wants to better protect workers vulnerable to the heat and minimize public burden, including sky high power bills, the result of prolonged usage of fans and AC.Kim Mok-yeon has the details. Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has called on government agencies to find ways to cope better with the prolonged heatwave.The Prime Minister's office said Wednesday that Lee asked for the nation's agriculture, labor and transport ministries to make it so workers at government construction and engineering projects can take a break during the early afternoon hours... or do their work at times when it's less hot. He even said they should consider delaying some projects.Lee recommended that private businesses also look into such measures, and stressed the need for workers to be aware of their health and take safety precautions to prevent heatstroke. He also visited a post office later in the day, to encourage and acknowledge the hard work of postal delivery workers. "Those people exposed the most to the heat include our postal workers . I came here to express my gratitude for their hard work. I also want to ask for the public's understanding if their parcels and mail arrive later than usual... because what's more important is the health of these workers." In a similar vein, on Tuesday Prime Minister Lee pointed out the public concern over hefty energy bills caused by the constant running of fans and air conditioners. He urged the government to find ways to provide some temporary relief from those power bills and to stabilize electricity supplies this week when power demand will most likely surge at the end of vacation season.Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.