Non-regular school workers launch relay strike across South Korea

The National School Non-regular Workers Solidarity Council, which represents about 94,000 members affiliated with several occupational unions, said its one-day general walkout is set to be staged in Seoul, Incheon, Gangwon, Sejong and the central province of North Chungcheong on Thursday.

The council has held collective wage negotiations with the education authorities since August but decided to launch the strike after failing to reach an agreement.

It said the strike will last one day in each region until early next month.

On Friday, non-regular workers in Gwangju, the southwestern provinces of Jeolla and Jeju will walk off the job. Council members in Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon and the central province of South Chungcheong will go on strike on Dec. 4 and those in Busan, Daegu, Ulsan and the southeastern provinces of South Gyeongsang and North Gyeongsang will join the move the following day.

The education authorities have devised countermeasures, fearing that the strike by those mostly involved in providing meals and child care may disrupt school operations.

In the case of school meals, each school plans to flexibly adjust the menu or provide alternative foods, such as bread and milk. Schools will also provide alternative day care programs to ensure that their after-school service would operate normally.

A year ago, the non-regular school workers staged a one-day general strike in early December, prompting many schools to replace lunch meal with bread and milk and recruit volunteers for after-school child care programs.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that over 70 schools in Australia were closed due to possible asbestos contamination.