Gyeongnam Education Union Calls for Higher Substitute Workforce Wages for Driving and Cooking Positions

The Gyeongnam Office of Education Public Officials Labor Union has urged the Gyeongnam Office of Education to adjust the substitute workforce wages for school driving and cooking civil servants to more realistic levels.

On the 18th, the union held a press conference in the briefing room of the provincial Office of Education, stating, "We strongly call for substantial institutional improvements to address the structural contradictions in the substitute workforce system for local civil servants, which leads to work gaps and confusion in schools, and to guarantee students' rights to health and safety."

They explained, "The Gyeongnam Office of Education provides substitute workers when there is a vacancy of more than one month due to childbirth, illness, leave of absence, unassigned positions, or disciplinary action. For cooking and driving positions, support is available when the vacancy lasts more than six days. However, the daily wage is around 90,000 won, making it virtually impossible to hire substitutes."

They continued, "Even when vacancies occur, schools are forced to handle the workload without being able to find replacements," adding, "Fatigue and confusion are accumulating in the field, and there is only cynicism left toward a system that is essentially meaningless."

The Gyeongnam Office of Education Public Officials Labor Union is urging the Gyeongnam Office of Education to adjust the wages for substitute personnel in the school driving and cooking public official categories. Photo by Lee Seryeong

The union pointed out, "Driving civil servants are on the front lines of student safety," and added, "The reality where they have no choice but to drive even when their health deteriorates directly threatens student safety."

They also stated, "When a single school meal cooking civil servant falls ill, it is impossible to secure a substitute, so the remaining staff must endure two to three times the workload," and continued, "Standing for hours in front of boiling soup pots and handling meal distribution in overheated kitchens without rest threatens the safety and health rights of students' meals."

The union emphasized, "Although the Gyeongnam Office of Education is aware of these issues, it continues to delay fundamental reforms citing budget constraints," stressing, "Students' rights to health and safety are not a matter of budget, but a fundamental right to education."

Accordingly, the union demanded: ▲ an increase in substitute workforce wages for driving and cooking civil servants ▲ the introduction of a regional workforce pool system and strengthened administrative support ▲ guarantees for the right to rest and safety for general civil servants ▲ and the realization of labor-respecting administration.

According to the union, there are about 300 driving and 300 cooking civil servants in the province, respectively.

Union leader Jin Youngmin explained, "For the facility construction series, the wage is about 169,000 to 170,000 won, based on the Korea Construction Association's standard labor rate, but for driving, cooking, and other series, it is only about 90,000 won," adding, "Even this amount varies by city and county."

He continued, "Although the 2026 budget for the Gyeongnam Office of Education is in a difficult situation, supporting substitute workforce wages is not a choice but a responsibility that the Office, as the employer, must take seriously," and added, "We hope unified guidelines will be established so that each job series can receive at least about 150,000 won per day."