Gyeongnam School Irregular Workers' Solidarity: "Even After 30 Years, Irregular Workers Earn Only Half the Salary of Regular Workers, This Must Change"

The School Irregular Workers' Solidarity Conference in the Gyeongnam region has announced its wage demands ahead of the 2025 collective wage negotiations.

The Gyeongnam School Irregular Workers' Solidarity Conference, which consists of the Gyeongnam branches of the National School Irregular Workers' Union, the Korean Women's Trade Union, and the National Education Public Workers' Headquarters, held a press conference in the briefing room of the Gyeongnam Office of Education on September 9. The group urged, "Reform the wage system to improve the low-wage structure."

The School Non-Regular Workers' Solidarity Conference in the Gyeongnam region is urging improvements to the wage system related to the 2025 collective wage negotiations. Photo by Se Ryeong Lee

They argued, "Even after working for 30 years, school irregular workers receive only half the salary of regular workers. The base salary still falls below the minimum wage, and various allowances are only about half of what regular workers receive."

They also stated, "For school irregular workers, the school vacation period, during which they cannot work due to the employer's circumstances, is like a 'barley hump' that threatens their very survival, as there are no measures in place to guarantee even a minimum livelihood."

In addition, they pointed out, "A total of 14 workers have lost their lives to lung cancer in school cafeterias," and emphasized, "We can no longer ignore the sacrifices of workers hidden behind the name of 'K-School Meals.'"

They stressed, "This wage negotiation proposal is not simply a demand for more money, but a cry from the vulnerable who support schools at a low cost. It is the responsibility of the education authorities to listen to these voices, reflect on them, and consider what responsibilities they bear."

The coalition demanded on this day: ▲guaranteeing a base salary higher than the minimum wage, ▲raising the longevity allowance, ▲providing regular service allowances and bonuses, ▲providing welfare benefits such as holiday bonuses equal to those of regular workers, and ▲providing duty allowances for permanent staff.

In particular, they highlighted the need to establish livelihood measures and introduce new duty allowances for 'non-working employees during school vacations,' who make up 60% of irregular school workers in the province.

Bae Gyeongmi, chief branch manager of the National Education Public Workers' Headquarters Gyeongnam branch, said, "We are an educational community that works together in the same schools to ensure the safety and welfare of children. We must recognize the value of our labor and create a foundation for the educational community to operate more stably."

Kim Eunhyeong, head of the Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, stated, "The basic principle of wage policy is that equal labor value should be compensated with equal wages, regardless of whether one is a regular or irregular worker. The wage gap between regular and irregular workers must be eliminated, and discrimination based on reasons other than work performance must be abolished."