The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has announced measures to address an upcoming strike by non-regular school workers scheduled for the 6th. These measures include simplifying lunch menus and maximizing the use of school staff. In a press release on the 3rd, the office revealed plans to utilize school staff as much as possible for early childhood and special education, and for food services, they will simplify menus and provide alternatives like packed lunches and bread or milk.
Schools are instructed to develop their own strike response plans and inform parents in advance about the strike and cooperation details via home correspondence. The strike is organized by a coalition of unions, including the School Irregular Workers Union, Public Transport Workers Union’s Educational Public Officials Branch, and the Korean Women’s Union, demanding improved working conditions.
The demands include a real wage increase, establishment of a wage system negotiation body, improved working conditions in cafeterias, and solutions for the livelihood of non-working staff during vacations.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education has developed a ‘strike response plan’ to minimize disruptions to educational activities due to the strike, outlining phased and job-specific response strategies and measures to prevent unfair labor practices.
Despite significant differences in opinion between the union and employers on matters requiring substantial budget allocations, the Office of Education stated they will seek a reasonable solution through collective bargaining between metropolitan and provincial education superintendents and the labor union.