An alliance of non-regular employees who work at elementary and secondary schools in South Korea are scheduled to go on strike from Wednesday.
They're calling for an end to unfair wages and treatment.
Our Oh Soo-young reports. Calling for an end to wage discrimination,... an alliance of non-permanent workers at elementary and secondary schools are staging a strike nationwide.
The three-day strike beginning Wednesday,... is expected to see a turnout of some 50-thousand non-regular school workers, including cafeteria cooks, dietitians and administrative assistants for teachers.
They are calling for a basic pay increase of about six percent as well as equal payment of various allowances such as seniority payments and welfare benefits.
The workers have also demanded that their wages be raised,... to at least 80 percent of the salary earned by the government's lowest-ranking civil servants,... within the tenure of the Moon Jae-in administration.
However, authorities have drawn the line at a wage increase of 1.8 percent.
Attempts to narrow their differences in a last-minute negotiation on Tuesday fell through without an agreement.
With the large-scale protest,... some 45-hundred schools, around four in ten schools across the country, will not be able to provide lunch for their students.
The education ministry says the majority of affected schools will provide substitute food, including bread and milk to students,... while others have not arranged alternative options, as most schools finish early this week due to final examinations.
As for after-school daycare services, teachers and regular school employees will be mobilized to cover for the workers participating in the walkout.
The education ministry says it has proposed another round of negotiations with labor representatives to address the pay gap issue.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.
