60,000 School Non-Regular Workers Announce General Strike... Education Authorities Establish Nationwide School Response System (Comprehensive)

General Strike of School Non-Regular Workers on the 6th
Ministry of Education Actively Responds by Setting Up Situation Room
Menu Adjusted and Alternative Meals Prepared to Prevent Meal Service Disruptions
Support for Neulbom and Special Education Shortened Classes Provided

With a nationwide general strike of school irregular workers involving over 60,000 participants scheduled for the 6th, the education authorities have established a response system to ensure the smooth operation of school classes. Nationwide education offices and schools have prepared alternative meals in anticipation of school meal suspensions and have implemented measures such as integrated class hours in Neulbom School and special education classes.

On the 4th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho held a meeting with provincial superintendents of education to discuss response measures to the general strike of educational public workers planned by the National School Irregular Workers Solidarity on the 6th. Earlier, on the 2nd, the National School Irregular Workers Union declared a general strike demanding wage increases and improvements in cafeteria working conditions.

Irregular workers responsible for cooking, administrative, cleaning, and security tasks at schools make up 41% of the total school staff. They assist teachers and public officials in offices such as the faculty office, science lab, library, counseling room, educational welfare office, and playgrounds at schools and educational institutions. The union estimates that about 60,000 out of 170,000 school irregular workers nationwide will participate in the strike.

During the general strike held on March 31 last year, 10.47% of schools in Seoul experienced disruptions in meal supply, and alternative meals such as bread and milk were provided to students at those schools.

Officials from the National School Irregular Workers' Union (Hakbi Nojo) held a rally on the 17th in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, urging the legalization of education public service positions, the elimination of discrimination against school irregular workers, and the establishment of measures for school cafeterias. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

According to the Ministry of Education, Deputy Prime Minister Lee emphasized at the meeting that "the Ministry of Education and the 17 provincial education offices will cooperate with one heart and one mind to respond flawlessly so that teachers, parents, and students can feel secure at the educational sites" and "to ensure that various reform tasks being prepared ahead of the new school year next year can be established in the field, communication with the educational sites will be strengthened to ensure stable school operations."

The Ministry of Education and provincial education offices stressed the need for amicable resolution through labor-management consultations to respect the union's right to collective action while protecting students' rights to learning and health. They also pledged to do their best to prevent strikes through close communication between labor and management and to establish a situation room to respond promptly to emergencies during strike situations.

Regarding meal provision, they plan to respond by adjusting menus and providing alternative meals considering the scale of cafeteria workers participating in the strike. Neulbom School classes will maintain normal operations by offering other programs within Neulbom School. For special education, each school will establish countermeasures and support flexible educational activities such as shortened classes.

As school irregular workers went on a general strike demanding the elimination of wage discrimination with regular workers, a lunch teacher is preparing substitute meals in the cafeteria of a middle school in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on the 25th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also stated in a press release the previous day that it has prepared a "strike response plan" containing step-by-step response measures, job-specific response plans, and measures to prevent unfair labor practices, and that "the headquarters, education support offices, and schools will operate strike response situation rooms to ensure that school educational activities can be conducted normally."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will take measures such as utilizing non-striking staff to operate integrated care classrooms without disruption. It will also reassign school staff duties to prevent work gaps. For school meals, which are difficult to substitute with staff, in case of meal suspension, they will simplify menus, allow students to bring lunch boxes, and provide meal substitutes such as bread or milk.

Education offices nationwide, including Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, Gyeongbuk Provincial Office of Education, and Chungbuk Provincial Office of Education, have also prepared response guidelines and delivered them to each education support office and school.