By Park Chung-a
Staff Reporter
The Korean Government Employees' Union has demanded the government raise their salaries by 10 percent and abolish performance-based bonuses.
The representatives of the union presented 362 items to the government for this year's collective bargaining on Monday. The government and the union are expected to complete the negotiations by the end of August.
The union said its aim is to get their salaries raised to the level of state-run companies in the long term.
The union has also demanded the government's extension of maternity leave from the current 90 days to 180 days, the establishment of various allowances and giving 5 million won each for a cultural heritage tour either inside or outside Korea to retiring government employees.
It has also requested an increase in the allowance for childcare leave from 400,000 won per month to one million won and asked to extend the period of fathers' paid birth leave from three days to 30 days.
Other demands include extending the retirement age and support for the lease of houses on an interest-free basis.
The Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs has expressed its embarrassment over the union's demands saying that the fulfillment of the demands should be accompanied by a budget increase and the revision of the law, which are beyond its ability.
The government also worries that if such demands are accepted, it could provoke not only state-run organizations but also private companies to make their own ``excessive'' demands.
The government has said that it cannot abolish performance-based bonuses, which are aimed at giving motivation for work. ``At the moment, only three percent of total salaries are allocated as performance-based bonus. The union's demand is hard to accept,'' said a government official.
The union workers said the negotiation would be an important opportunity for them to make their voices heard.
``Our demands for improved working conditions have been suppressed for 50 years. These are only demands at the moment and we expect that most of these will become long-term project for the government. So do not be so critical about our demands,'' said Park Seong-chul, a chairman of the Korean Government Employees' Union.
``The negotiation between the government and the union is meaningful in that it paves the way to equal-level communication channel between the two sides in a government organization which is dominated by strict hierarchy.''