Part-Time Public Officials Union Signs Collective Agreement on 'Improvement of Treatment' with Ministry of Personnel Management

First Step Toward Ending Discrimination,
Hopes for Systemic Change

The National Part-Time Public Officials Labor Union (Chairperson Sunghye Jeong) announced on the 22nd that it had signed the "2023 Administrative Negotiation Collective Agreement," which includes measures to improve the treatment of part-time public officials and others, at 5:30 p.m. on the 21st in the main conference room of Building 16 at the Government Sejong Complex.

The National Part-Time Public Officials Labor Union and others signed the "2023 Administrative Negotiation Collective Agreement" on the 21st at the Government Sejong Complex. From the left, Hyungdo Park, Chairman of the Assistant Labor Union, Dongseok Choi, Director of the Ministry of Personnel Management, and Sunghye Jeong, Chairman of the Part-Time Labor Union. Provided by the Part-Time Labor Union.

This agreement marks the third collective bargaining agreement between national public officials and the government, following those in 2006 (concluded in 2017) and 2018 (concluded in 2021). It consists of six chapters and 76 articles, covering union activities, compensation and treatment improvements, and the improvement of working conditions for assistant, part-time, and fire service officials.

Seven unions participated in the negotiations: the National Part-Time Public Officials Labor Union, the National Fire Safety Officials Labor Union, the National Public and Private University Assistant Labor Union, the National Public Officials Labor Union, the National Government Employees Labor Union, the Firefighters Love Public Officials Labor Union, and the Integrated Fire Service Public Officials Labor Union. On the management side, negotiation committee members included representatives from the Ministry of Personnel Management, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

Chairperson Sunghye Jeong of the Part-Time Labor Union stated, "The negotiation request submitted by our union on October 12, 2023, included demands such as easing the promotion period for part-time public officials and providing equal allowances, including holiday bonuses, regardless of working hours. However, it is regrettable that the final agreement only included the phrase, 'The administration will strive to improve the treatment of part-time public officials,' instead of more concrete commitments."

Chairperson Jeong added, "Nevertheless, this collective agreement is significant in that it marks the first institutional step toward addressing the discrimination experienced by part-time public officials affiliated with central administrative agencies. In particular, the creation of a separate chapter titled 'Chapter 6: Improvement of Working Conditions for Assistants, Part-Time, and Fire Service Officials,' which officially addresses the improvement of treatment for part-time public officials, is an important advancement."

Hwangwoo Kim, head of the National Headquarters of the Part-Time Labor Union, commented, "I hope that this negotiation will serve as a turning point to abolish the part-time public official system, which, even after more than ten years since its introduction, continues to cause personnel grievances and discrimination due to the unreasonable dual structure within the public sector."