Gyeongnam Public Officials Union Council: "We Are Workers Too, Guarantee Basic Rights and Three Labor Rights"

Calls for Guaranteeing Political Activities, Union Membership, and Labor Day Holiday

"Public officials and teachers are also citizens and workers of the Republic of Korea. Guarantee the minimum rights stipulated in the Constitution and make no exceptions to equality."

The Public Officials Union Council of Gyeongnam region held a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center on May 15, making this demand.

The council, which is made up of seven unions including the Gyeongnam Office of Education Public Officials Union, the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Public Officials Union, the Changwon City Hall and Changnyeong County Public Officials Unions, the Gyeongnam Regional Headquarters and Changwon Branch of the National Public Officials Union, and the Gyeongnam Branch of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, raised their voices to call for the guarantee of the basic rights and the right to livelihood of public officials and teachers.

They stated, "We stand here with the hope of ending the outdated era in which even basic rights are not properly guaranteed, and of ushering in a new world of equality where every citizen of the Republic of Korea is guaranteed basic rights."

The Public Officials Union Council of Gyeongnam region is holding a press conference at the Gyeongnam Provincial Government Press Center to urge the guarantee of basic rights and the right to livelihood. Photo by Lee Seryung

The union council argued, "Although the Constitution stipulates the right to freely express oneself and the right to speak and write about issues directly related to livelihood, political activities and joining political parties are prohibited, and even posting comments online is difficult."

They also said, "Although we receive fair wages for our labor and maintain our livelihoods, we are plagued by malicious civil complaints, discouraged by low wages to the point of leaving our jobs, and suffer from various forms of abuse of power. The slave contract that forces us to endure unjust discrimination and oppression simply because we are paid with taxpayers' money must end now."

They went on to demand the full guarantee of the three basic labor rights, including the right to wage bargaining and collective action, the guarantee of a holiday on Labor Day, and the removal of restrictions on union membership.

Additionally, they called for the enactment of a Public Officials Wage Committee Act to institutionalize the Public Officials Remuneration Committee and to reflect the committee's decisions in the government's budget proposal.

They also urged improvements in working conditions, including resolving income gaps caused by the mismatch between pension eligibility and retirement age, introducing a four-day workweek, and expanding the workforce.

The union stated, "We are not asking for special privileges for public officials, but for fair wages and pensions, and for the government to prepare measures to address the income gap as promised. We ask to be recognized as workers with rights, not as tools of the state or subordinates of those in power."