Strike by Non-Regular School Cafeteria Workers in Daejeon Area

Seven Out of Nine Cafeteria Workers at Dunsan Girls’ High School Join Strike

Daejeon Office of Education exterior (Photo by Mo Seokbong)

School cafeteria workers in the Daejeon area have gone on strike, demanding improved working conditions, which has led to disruptions in meal services for students.

According to the Daejeon branch of the National School Irregular Workers’ Union (Hakbi Union) on September 30, nine cafeteria workers affiliated with the union began an indefinite strike that day.

By school, the breakdown is as follows: seven at Dunsan Girls’ High School, one at International Trade High School, and one at Deoksong Elementary School.

In particular, at Dunsan Girls’ High School, seven out of nine cafeteria workers are participating in this full-scale strike, which is expected to cause difficulties in preparing lunch.

The school has announced plans to deploy staff members with health certificates to assist in meal preparation in order to prevent a suspension of meal services.

Dunsan Girls’ High School explained in a letter to parents the previous day, “Even in the event of a cafeteria strike, we will prioritize students’ right to learn and their health,” adding, “We will do our utmost to ensure there is no disruption to regular educational activities and meal operations.”

The Hakbi Union has stated that if the conflict with the Office of Education is not resolved after Chuseok, the strike will continue.

A union representative said, “Issues regarding the improvement of cafeteria workers’ treatment and unfair labor practices remain unresolved,” and added, “If these problems are not addressed, we plan to expand the scale of the strike from mid-October.”

The union is reportedly calling for a ban on exceeding three fried food (jeon, grilled, or deep-fried) sessions per week, the use of large cold noodle bowls, and boiling bones (such as pig’s feet or beef leg bones), in order to protect cafeteria workers’ health and workplace safety.

Additionally, some union members are claiming wage losses and are demanding compensation from the Daejeon Office of Education.

In response, an official from the Daejeon Office of Education stated, “We have resumed intensive negotiations with the union and are engaging in good faith,” but also clarified, “However, compensation cannot be provided for work that was not performed.”