A labor dispute at two private language schools in Ulsan has escalated into a legal fight over whether the academies lawfully ended fixed-term contracts or used contract expirations to remove foreign English teachers who had joined a union.
The union held a rally Friday near the entrance of Ulsan Grand Park, accusing the schools of dismissing unionized foreign teachers while collective bargaining was underway.
The rally was organized by the Busan branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.
At the center of the dispute is the employment status of foreign instructors working under E-2 visas, who are typically hired on one-year contracts tied to their stay in Korea. The union is not only contesting the contract expirations but also the way the academies decided not to renew them, arguing that instructors were given no clear reason or objective evaluation standard.
According to Ulsan Maeil Shinmun, the dispute dates back to last year, when about 10 foreign English instructors at the two academies joined the union and began wage and collective bargaining talks.
Their demands included a 100,000 won ($64) raise in base pay, rent support for teachers who do not use academy-provided housing, guaranteed rest breaks, compensation for work outside regular hours and the right to use annual leave more freely.
The two academies share the same owner and had been involved in collective bargaining with the union.
According to the union, the teachers organized after facing what it described as unfair workplace practices, including unpaid overtime, unexplained salary deductions and forced use of annual leave without proper compensation.
“The employer dismissed union members during negotiations, citing the end of their contracts without providing a specific reason,” the union said. “This is not just a problem at one academy. It reflects a broader structure in which migrant workers are treated as replaceable labor.”
The union called for fixed-term employment rules to be applied fairly to all workers performing regular duties, including migrant teachers.
The academies rejected the claims, saying the teachers had been hired under contracts that clearly specified the employment period and that the contracts ended lawfully upon expiration.
“We confirmed through consultation with a labor attorney that there is no legal problem,” the academy said.
The academy also said it could not guarantee automatic employment succession for foreign instructors whose visas and contracts are time-limited.
It has argued that union demands for joint labor-management evaluations and disciplinary committees would infringe on management rights.
The academy also said a separate Korean workers’ union representing a majority of employees had been established at the schools and now holds majority-union status, leaving the KCTU-affiliated union without bargaining authority.
On the allegation of unpaid annual leave allowances, the academy said the use of school vacation periods as annual leave had been discussed with teachers before they were hired.
The union filed a petition with the Ulsan Regional Labor Relations Commission in March, seeking relief over alleged unfair dismissal and unfair labor practices. It also filed a wage complaint with the labor office.
The Ulsan labor panel is set to hold a hearing Wednesday to decide whether the dismissals were unfair.
hnpark@heraldcorp.com
