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Anniversary of Kim Il Sung's Work Observed

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK via Korea News Service (KNS)

   Pyongyang, June 24 (KCNA) -- It is 60 years since the promulgation of the historic "Labour Law for the Workers and Office Employees in North Korea" by President Kim Il Sung on June 24, Juche 35 (1946). Many labor policies and ordinances have been in force to meet the interests of the popular masses in every period and at each stage of the revolution and construction. Labor policies were put into force in the period of building a new country including the decision of the Cabinet on raising the living allowances of workers adopted on Dec. 27, Juche 38 (1949). This stirred up the enthusiasm and creative energy of the working people who became the master of the country.
    In Juche 40 (1951) when the Korean War was at its height, the state took a measure to reconstruct the destroyed sanatoria and rest homes to provide the working people with recuperation. As a result, the number of those who recuperated at sanatoria and rest homes increased 7.5 times in the following year.
    On Sept. 30, Juche 41 (1952), the Cabinet adopted a decision to increase the food supply to workers, technicians and office employees and their families. According to the decision, additional food was supplied to them at a very cheap price beside the regular food supply from Oct. 1 of the same year. Measures were taken to bring the living of the working people to normal. For example, workers, technicians and office employees were provided with more than 300,000 padded clothes, at least 900,000 pairs of leather shoes and 1,600,000 meters of cotton textiles in the year.
    Thanks to the decision of the Cabinet on providing free medical care adopted on Jan. 1, Juche 42 (1953), a universal free health care system took effect for the first time in the nation's history.
    The postwar period witnessed the adoption of the Cabinet decision on introducing the system of paying additional wages (Feb. 23, 1954), its decision on promoting the medical service for the workers, technicians and office employees (June 23, 1954), its decision to cut down the work hours of nursing mothers (Oct. 10, 1966) and other decisions to improve the standard of the material and cultural living of the workers, technicians and office employees.
    The popular policies of the Workers' Party of Korea and the state which regard it as a supreme principle to meet the interests of the working masses found a clear manifestation in a lot of ordinances including the ordinance of the Supreme People's Assembly on totally abolishing the taxation system promulgated on Mar. 21, 1974.
    A particular mention should be made of the institution and promulgation of the Socialist Labor Law, the original charter of labor which indicates the way of finally settling the labor issue, on April 18, Juche 67 (1978).
    In Juche 81 (1992) the state took a measure of raising the living allowances of the workers, technicians and office employees by 43.4 percent on an average and the old-age pension by 50.7 percent on an average on the occasion of the 80th birthday of Kim Il Sung.
    Labor policies were enforced at a higher level also in the period of the "Arduous March" and the forced march, the most difficult period for the country, to promote the welfare of people and provide them with conditions for worthwhile and highly civilized labor.