Seoul: Non-regular school workers, primarily cafeteria cooks and after-school day care service assistants, announced on Thursday their plan to initiate a nationwide relay strike over the next two weeks. This decision comes after wage negotiations with education authorities reached an impasse.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the National School Non-regular Workers Solidarity Council, representing approximately 94,000 members from various occupational unions, has organized a one-day general walkout in several regions. The strike commenced on Thursday in Seoul, Incheon, Gangwon, Sejong, and the central province of North Chungcheong. The council has been engaged in collective wage negotiations with education authorities since August but opted for the strike after talks failed to produce an agreement.

The council has outlined a detailed schedule for the strike, which will occur one day in each region until early next month. On Friday, workers in Gwangju and the southwestern provinces of Jeolla and Jeju will participate, followed by those in Gyeonggi Province, Daejeon, and the central province of South Chungcheong on December 4. The strike will continue with participation from Busan, Daegu, Ulsan, and the southeastern provinces of South Gyeongsang and North Gyeongsang the following day.

Education authorities have prepared countermeasures to mitigate potential disruptions, particularly concerning school meals and child care services. Schools plan to adjust menus flexibly or provide alternative foods like bread and milk. Additionally, alternative day care programs will be offered to ensure the continuity of after-school services.

The current situation echoes last year's events when non-regular school workers staged a similar one-day strike in early December, leading many schools to offer bread and milk in place of regular lunches and recruit volunteers for after-school child care programs.