A student at an elementary school in the southeastern city of Daegu eats bread and other substitute foods for lunch after the Daegu branch of a national union for non-regular school workers went on strike on Nov. 21.(Yonhap)

Around 60,000 non-regular school workers will go on strike this week to demand better pay and working conditions, their union said Monday.

Union representatives said at a press conference that the workers, who are mostly involved in providing school meals and childcare, will stage a one-day strike Friday after negotiations with the education ministry and local education offices failed to produce an agreement despite multiple rounds of talks since June.

The union said non-regular workers number 170,000 nationwide, accounting for 41 percent of all school staff. Of them, around 60,000 are expected to take part in the strike.

Should the walkout go ahead, some schools will likely replace Friday's lunch meal with bakery goods and milk and hire substitute personnel to provide childcare. (Yonhap)