By Kim Bo-eun
Members of one of the nation's largest teachers' groups have begun a protest against the education ministry's decision to nullify their leave to participate in the progressive unions' activities. The ministry is seeking to cancel regional education offices' approval for members to take leave.
"The ministry should recognize the status of teachers who are committed to engagements with the union and must abolish its hostile policies toward them," members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) said. They made the remark during a press conference in front of the ministry building in Sejong, Tuesday.
They vowed to camp out there until April 28. The members said they have requested to speak with Education Minister Lee Joon-sik, and said the protest will continue if he refuses to meet them.
The ministry earlier indicated it would punish union members who did not go to work at schools citing union activities. It also ordered education offices to cancel their approval for teachers' leave. This was based on a court ruling that denied the union legal status.
The ministry requested the education offices of Gangwon and South Gyeongsang provinces, as well as Seoul and Sejong to cancel their approval for the teachers' leave.
It canceled the Gangwon education office's decision to allow leave for union activities, and plans to do the same for other offices if they do not cancel their plans voluntarily.
Sixteen teachers affiliated with the union were absent from work as of April 10.
Among them, six received approval from education offices for union activities, three have filed for general leave, four have been removed from their positions as teachers and three are absent without due notice.
The teachers' union accused four ministry officials including Minister Lee of abuse of power.
Last year, the ministry dismissed 34 teachers who were absent from school due to engagements for the labor union.
In 2013, the labor ministry decided to ban the union because it failed to cancel the membership of nine dismissed teachers. The move was based on a clause in the law which bans dismissed education workers from joining the union, in order to keep the union politically neutral by remaining independent from outside influence including non-education workers.
In 2014, the Seoul Administrative Court rejected the request filed by the KTU to nullify the ministry's decision.
In January 2016, an appellate court upheld the lower court's ruling that the teachers' group was illegal. And in May last year, the Constitutional Court supported the ruling after the union requested it to review the constitutionality of the clause.
If the ruling is confirmed at the Supreme Court, it will strip the legal status of the 60,000-member union, which gives it the right to take collective action and receive government subsidies.
Members of one of the nation's largest teachers' groups have begun a protest against the education ministry's decision to nullify their leave to participate in the progressive unions' activities. The ministry is seeking to cancel regional education offices' approval for members to take leave.
"The ministry should recognize the status of teachers who are committed to engagements with the union and must abolish its hostile policies toward them," members of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union (KTU) said. They made the remark during a press conference in front of the ministry building in Sejong, Tuesday.
They vowed to camp out there until April 28. The members said they have requested to speak with Education Minister Lee Joon-sik, and said the protest will continue if he refuses to meet them.
The ministry earlier indicated it would punish union members who did not go to work at schools citing union activities. It also ordered education offices to cancel their approval for teachers' leave. This was based on a court ruling that denied the union legal status.
The ministry requested the education offices of Gangwon and South Gyeongsang provinces, as well as Seoul and Sejong to cancel their approval for the teachers' leave.
It canceled the Gangwon education office's decision to allow leave for union activities, and plans to do the same for other offices if they do not cancel their plans voluntarily.
Sixteen teachers affiliated with the union were absent from work as of April 10.
Among them, six received approval from education offices for union activities, three have filed for general leave, four have been removed from their positions as teachers and three are absent without due notice.
The teachers' union accused four ministry officials including Minister Lee of abuse of power.
Last year, the ministry dismissed 34 teachers who were absent from school due to engagements for the labor union.
In 2013, the labor ministry decided to ban the union because it failed to cancel the membership of nine dismissed teachers. The move was based on a clause in the law which bans dismissed education workers from joining the union, in order to keep the union politically neutral by remaining independent from outside influence including non-education workers.
In 2014, the Seoul Administrative Court rejected the request filed by the KTU to nullify the ministry's decision.
In January 2016, an appellate court upheld the lower court's ruling that the teachers' group was illegal. And in May last year, the Constitutional Court supported the ruling after the union requested it to review the constitutionality of the clause.
If the ruling is confirmed at the Supreme Court, it will strip the legal status of the 60,000-member union, which gives it the right to take collective action and receive government subsidies.
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