"Recycling Collection Officials Step In" ... Senior Officials of Changwon Special City Urgently Dispatched for Collection Work

Collection in Uichang and Seongsan Districts Fully Halted from 5th to 9th Due to KCTU Environmental Workers' Collective Leave Protest
Citizens Call for Hiring New Environmental Officials

As members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Environment Public Workers went on a collective annual leave strike, making it difficult to collect recyclables, senior officials of Changwon Special City urgently stepped in to carry out collection operations.

On the 5th, Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced that senior city officials directly participated in collecting recyclables and collected approximately 35 tons of recyclable materials.

Changwon Special City Senior Officials Urgently Deployed for Recycling Collection Work.

Since July 11, due to industrial action by Environment Public Workers affiliated with the KCTU, the collection of recyclables in the Uichang and Seongsan districts has been disrupted. With 135 Environment Public Workers entering a five-day collective annual leave strike from the 5th to the 9th, the collection of recyclables and street cleaning in single-family homes and commercial areas of Uichang and Seongsan districts has been virtually suspended.

On this day, 60 senior city officials were dispatched to the field in morning and afternoon shifts. Despite temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius from the morning, they continued the collection of recyclables to alleviate the inconvenience for citizens as much as possible.

Choi Youngsook, Director of the Climate and Environment Bureau, stated, "Given the inconvenience citizens are experiencing due to this strike, we determined that an urgent response at the city level was necessary. Senior officials have voluntarily participated in the collection of recyclables to minimize inconvenience for citizens. During the strike, we plan to mobilize all city employees to operate an emergency collection response team."

Hong Nampyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, emphasized, "We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to citizens' daily lives due to this strike. We will continue to make every effort to ensure that recyclable collection and street cleaning return to normal. We will do our utmost to minimize inconvenience for citizens."

In particular, residents of Uichang and Seongsan districts are voicing complaints and criticism regarding the suspension of recyclable collection by Environment Public Workers.

One citizen remarked, "Even now, the city should stop hesitating and hire new Environment Public Workers. Handle this according to the law," raising their voice.