Care Workers Union Demands 'Consultative Body' from Education Authorities, Announces '2nd Care Strike'

On the morning of the 6th, representatives of the National Women's Labor Union held a press conference for a general strike to demand full-time care for part-time workers and victory in collective bargaining in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education in Jongno-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Donghoon Jeong and intern Daehyun Kim] The labor union of care workers, who went on strike on the 6th opposing the transfer of elementary after-school care classrooms to local governments, has announced a 'second care strike' and urged the education authorities to hold an ‘Emergency Meeting on School Care Issues.’

The National Coalition of School Irregular Workers (Coalition) held a press conference on the 12th at the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions conference room in Jung-gu, Seoul, making this demand. The Coalition’s position is to first negotiate urgent issues where common ground has been reached, such as the transition of care workers to full-time regular positions and the reduction of teachers’ care duties, and to form a separate consultative body to discuss broader issues like institutionalizing the all-day care system in the mid to long term.

Park Mihyang, chairperson of the National School Irregular Workers’ Union (Hakbi Union), said, “Care workers have repeatedly explained the many reasons why they had no choice but to come out onto the streets away from the children, but Minister of Education Yoo Eun-hye only expressed regret over the strike,” adding, “It is irresponsible to just throw out a consultative body and only ask for restraint from striking without any concrete measures.”

The Coalition stated that the 'transition of care workers to full-time regular positions' and 'reduction of teachers’ care duties' are issues where partial consensus has been reached among care workers, teachers, and parents during previous interim meetings, and that an emergency meeting on school care issues should be held to prioritize resolving these matters.

They also continued to criticize the metropolitan and provincial offices of education. Although the offices of education could quickly resume negotiations focusing on these consensus issues if only they participated, the National Association of Metropolitan and Provincial Superintendents of Education is delaying discussions by proposing to include the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Association of Governors, and National Education Council.

Na Jihyun, chairperson of the National Women’s Union, said, “The education offices should not delay forming a consultative body by dragging in various organizations and should not shift responsibility onto care workers,” adding, “Since there are already areas where teachers, parents, and care workers agree, a proper consultative body should be formed to resolve the issues.”

They also argued that legislative measures regarding the all-day care system should be approached as a long-term issue. The Coalition stated, “The all-day care system is an issue to be discussed through a broader consultative body than the emergency meeting on urgent issues,” and “Since significant conflicts such as the transfer to local governments have accumulated, a separate body should be formed to discuss this in the mid to long term.”

Previously, the Coalition conducted the first elementary care strike on the 6th, demanding the transition of care workers to full-time regular positions and the elimination of welfare discrimination against school irregular workers.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.