"Untangling Organizational Restructuring Together with the Union"... Jeonnam Gwangju Special City Bets on 'Labor-Management Joint Council'

Equal Participation of Gwangju and Muan Unions

Principles of "Guaranteeing Existing Workplaces" and "Balanced Operation of Three Offices"

Significance: Resuming Organizational Restructuring Amid Heightened Tensions

Nearly a month after integration, the organizational restructuring of the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City, which has been adrift, appears to be entering a new phase. Amid escalating conflict between government office buildings and increasing anxiety among employees surrounding the reorganization, the administration has launched a 'labor-management joint council' by officially recognizing the labor union as a negotiation partner in order to seek solutions.

In particular, the direct participation of the labor union in the discussion process is expected to greatly enhance the transparency of the restructuring dialogue, as it is aimed at dispelling various unverified rumors among Gwangju Office and Muan Office employees regarding the potential concentration of planning, budget, and human resources functions, as well as massive personnel transfers.

On the 26th, the Jeonnam Gwangju Integrated Special City announced the establishment of a 'labor-management joint council,' with the departments in charge of organizational and personnel matters, the Gwangju Office labor union, and the Muan Office labor union all participating on an equal footing.

Min Hyungbae, Mayor of the Integrated Metropolitan City of Gwangju and Jeonnam, is seen explaining issues related to the main government building, the allocation of major departments between Gwangju and Jeonnam, and personnel matters during a town hall meeting for residents held on the 9th. Photo by Shim Jinseok

The formation of this council materialized after the city accepted the joint demand from both office labor unions for a 'consultative body with the participation of the civil servants' union.' The operational methods and working-level composition of the council will also be jointly determined by labor and management at the first meeting.

This development is considered significant, as it represents a transition from a restructuring approach previously centered on the administration to one that is discussed collaboratively by labor and management.

The council will focus on discussing: ▲ assignment of functions and departments across the three offices ▲ guarantees for retaining previous workplaces ▲ assurances of fair personnel opportunities ▲ improvement of work environments and resolution of employee grievances.

In particular, the city proposed 'guarantee of prior workplaces,' 'decentralization of support functions,' and 'balanced utilization of the three offices' as the core principles for restructuring.

This move is interpreted as a response to concerns about the potential concentration of essential support functions—such as planning, budgeting, and HR—in specific offices, which has been the most contentious issue since integration. The city aims to rationally distribute these support functions so that Gwangju, Muan, and Dongbu offices each play their roles in a balanced system.

So far, internal disagreements over the distribution of planning, budget, and HR functions have delayed the organizational restructuring schedule multiple times. Unverified rumors about department relocations and personnel assignments have been spreading among staff, and the perceived fairness between offices has continued to be a contentious issue.

The launch of this council is drawing attention as it signals the intention to resolve these conflicts through open labor-management discussions rather than through unilateral administrative decisions.

However, it remains to be seen how much actual consensus the council can achieve regarding the distribution of functions and personnel principles. Satisfying all three objectives—guaranteeing previous workplaces, administrative efficiency, and balanced regional development—simultaneously is expected to make the negotiations particularly challenging.

Hwang Giyeon, Deputy Mayor for Administration, stated, "The true completion of integration is only possible when public servants unite in spirit," and added, "Please prepare the fairest and most rational restructuring proposal based on the principles of guaranteeing existing workplaces, decentralizing support functions, and balancing the use of the three offices."

The integrated special city plans to promptly finalize its organizational restructuring plan based on discussions held within the labor-management joint council, thereby accelerating the stabilization of its integrated administrative system.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.