The tension between the government and workers is rising as local trade unions are set to hold a nationwide rally Friday to protest against the labor reform plans. Groups of left-leaning teachers and unionized public servants said they would also support the general strike, defying the government warnings that all participants would face legal charges.

The government on Thursday threatened to take stern action against civil servants and teachers who participate in the protest, saying they would be abandoning their duties and causing social chaos.

The Korea Teachers and Education Workers’ Union, or KTU, announced that up to 10,000 of its 53,000 members are expected to take part in the rally and strike, led by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Teachers will take a leave of absence prior to the event in order to minimize setbacks in school lesson plans, the KTU said.

Topping the agenda for the KCTU’s general strike are demanding the government to scrap its controversial pension reform plan for public officials, and raising the minimum wage to 10,000 won ($9.20) per hour.

The KTU will hold a rally at Seoul Plaza in the afternoon and join the KCTU’s movement in which an estimated 200,000 workers and civil servants are expected to join from across the country. On Saturday, teachers will take part in nationwide protests against the civil servants pension reform.

In a meeting of the nation’s vice superintendents, the Education Ministry warned the KTU not to push ahead with its plans.

Korean law stipulates that public officials should not take collective action unrelated to their duties and prohibits education workers from partaking in illegal disputes.

“Schools must uphold laws in all cases, and teaching and learning should be protected at all times. These must not be infringed by illegal acts of some organizations,” said Vice Education Minister Kim Jae-choon at the meeting. “The ministry condones legal activities by teacher unions, but will sternly deal with illegal actions that infringe upon students’ rights to learn and sparks confusion within education circles.”

A ministry official said if the KTU carries out its plans, the ministry would file charges against all participants and demand local education offices conduct disciplinary action.

The government Thursday released a joint statement criticizing “illegal action by public officials.”

“We are in a critical moment where we have to focus our nation’s efforts on revitalizing the economy. It is regretful that some civil servants’ unions are pushing ahead with the strike, when most of the officials are fulfilling their duties,” it said.

Despite the government’s disapproval, the KTU reiterated its decision to go ahead with the strike and rally.

“Current law bans teachers from taking part in collective action. Without it, teachers only have limited options to express their opinions,” said the KTU. “The government is violating the human rights of teachers by banning us from rightfully taking a leave of absence to participate in a rally.”

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)