The Korea Times close
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
Entertainment
& Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
Sports
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
Video
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • Site Map
  • E-paper
  • Subscribe
  • Register
  • LogIn
search close
National
  • Forestry
Thu, July 7, 2022 | 05:29
Teachers' union rally for legal status
Posted : 2019-06-12 16:59
Updated : 2019-06-12 18:04
Print Preview
Font Size Up
Font Size Down
Members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union rally at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, Wednesday, calling on the Moon Jae-in administration to restore legal status to the currently outlawed union. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki
Members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union rally at Gwanghwamun Square, Seoul, Wednesday, calling on the Moon Jae-in administration to restore legal status to the currently outlawed union. / Korea Times photo by Hong In-ki

By Lee Suh-yoon

Hundreds of teachers rallied at Gwanghwamun Square, Wednesday, calling on President Moon Jae-in to keep his campaign promise to legalize a progressive teachers' union that was outlawed by the former Park Geun-hye administration in 2013.

"The government born from the candlelight revolution must show the people it has the will to get rid of the corruption and accumulated ills from former administrations ― a prime example being the outlawing of the teachers' union," Jung Hyun-jin, a spokesperson for the Korea Teachers and Education Worker's Union (KTU), told The Korea Times. "It's been seven years, how much longer should we wait?"

The KTU was outlawed by the conservative Park administration in October 2013, because nine out of some 60,000 union members had been dismissed by their schools and were not holding a teaching post at the time.

According to the law on teachers' unions, only incumbent teachers and school workers are recognized as union members. The KTU has been tied up in litigation since it was first outlawed in 2013 and has changed status between legal and illegal according to different court rulings six times in the past six years. It appealed against a ruling in favor of the government in February 2016, and the case is pending at the Supreme Court.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the union says Moon has the power to annul the decision to outlaw the union, because the outlawing was an improper administrative decision and the President can change it.

With three years left in office, President Moon has tossed the ball to the legislative and judicial branch, saying the problem must be solved with the Supreme Court ruling or by changing a relevant law.

The union says Moon's stance is "irresponsible," especially considering the fact the administration is preparing to ratify key ILO conventions, which will, if ratified, allow dismissed workers to join a labor union.

But the Moon administration says, to ratify the key conventions, relevant domestic laws need to be revised first, calling on the National Assembly to do so.

"It's very disappointing," Jung said. "If the Moon administration truly has the will to ratify the ILO conventions, it needs to first carry out the measures it has the power to deliver."

Wednesday's rally was faced off by conservative parents' associations that condemned the union members for "rallying in the streets instead of teaching students."

The participating union members, who used their annual leave to attend the rally, responded to the criticism by saying they arranged for substitute teachers beforehand.

Previously under conservative administrations, the government threatened to take disciplinary action against unionized teachers who took part in protests by taking leave. In 2016, 34 teachers who were leaders in the union were fired as their schools did not recognize leaves of absence for an outlawed union.

But the education ministry under the Moon administration said their participation would be fine as long as substitute teachers were placed.

The parents' groups said the ministry's stance is dereliction of duty, saying they would file a complaint against Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae.


Emailsylee@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
LG
  • Woman gets 1-year imprisonment for assaulting elderly man on subway train
  • Seoul gov't promotes veganism to fight climate crisis
  • First lady thrust back into spotlight over unofficial aide
  • Kakao falls victim to Google's in-app payment policy
  • Korea's new COVID-19 cases up for 2nd day amid resurgence concerns
  • Yoon orders military to swiftly punish North Korea in case of provocations
  • 'Stable environment needed to nurture Korean mathematicians': June Huh
  • President Yoon's approval rating falls: poll
  • Court upholds ban on rallies in front of ex-president's home in Yangsan
  • Appeals court upholds prison term for father for fracturing infant son's skull
  • Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung reunite after 23 years for Lee's directorial debut, 'Hunt' Lee Jung-jae, Jung Woo-sung reunite after 23 years for Lee's directorial debut, 'Hunt'
  • 3 black-and-white photo exhibitions offer testament to 20th-century world history 3 black-and-white photo exhibitions offer testament to 20th-century world history
  • [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise [INTERVIEW] 'Money Heist: Korea' writer feels satisfied to expand series' franchise
  • Jecheon festival to present film concerts Jecheon festival to present film concerts
  • BLACKPINK to drop new album in August BLACKPINK to drop new album in August
DARKROOM
  • Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

    Afghanistan earthquake killed more than 1,000

  • Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

    Divided America reacts to overturn of Roe vs. Wade

  • Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

    Namaste: Yogis to celebrate International Yoga Day

  • Poor hit harder by economic crisis

    Poor hit harder by economic crisis

  • Roland Garros 2022

    Roland Garros 2022

The Korea Times
CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Location
  • Media Kit
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Service
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • Mobile Service
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Policy
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • 고충처리인
  • Youth Protection Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group