Strike forces 3,500 schools to suspend lunch meals

Bread and juice are served for lunch at an elementary school in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday, as cafeteria workers at nearly 3,500 schools nationwide take part in a three-day strike to call for a pay rise. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin

Lunches usually served at schools have been halted at about 3,500 schools nationwide as cafeteria workers, mostly irregular employees, went on strike to call for a pay raise, Wednesday.

Some children were given substitute foods such as bread and milk, while others brought their own lunches or were sent home early before lunch time.

According to the Ministry of Education, 3,547 elementary, middle and high schools among some 10,400 schools across the country suspended school lunches as their cafeteria workers walked out on the first day of their planned three-day strike.

Of the schools, 2,572 offered bread, milk and other snacks instead or recommended students bring their own lunches from home. Another 230 schools shortened their class hours and allowed children to return home in time for lunch. At 745 schools, the workers went on strike but students there were unaffected because they are currently taking exams and finish early during the period.

The cafeteria workers are among some 22,000 irregular workers at schools, including cafeteria cooks, dietitians, administrative assistants and after-school daycare service providers, who participated in the walkout.

For daycare programs, teachers and other school employees substituted for the striking workers.

The irregular workers are calling on the education authorities to raise their basic pay by 6.24 percent, eliminate discrimination in various allowances, and switch them to regular worker status.

But the government only proposed a 1.8 percent pay increase.

The strike is scheduled for three days until Friday, but an alliance of irregular school workers, which has some 95,000 members, said the strike could continue afterward if their demands were not met.

Irregular workers in the public sector hold a rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, Wednesday, to demand a wage hike and a change in status to regular employees. School cafeteria workers took part in the rally, preventing the serving of school meals at 3,500 schools nationwide. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

Including the school workers, around 60,000 irregular public sector workers held a massive rally at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul in the afternoon, while smaller rallies are scheduled in other provinces through Friday.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon vowed to take necessary measures to minimize public inconvenience.
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"The government is well aware of people's concerns about the strike and also understands the workers' grievances. We will do our best to resolve the issue," Lee said.

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