The Korea Confederation of Trade Unions has called for a general strike April 24, which the umbrella labor group said would be followed by sporadic, smaller-scale walkouts by its member unions.

The KCTU said it would launch the protests unless the government ― specifically President Park Geun-hye ― accepts their demands for, among other things, scrapping plans to reform the labor market and the government workers’ pension scheme. It set the end of March as the deadline for government answers.

It is no coincidence that the Korean Teachers and Education Workers’ Union wasted no time in announcing that it would join the general strike. It said its member teachers would take simultaneous leave of absence on the day of the general strike.

The teachers’ union’s demands include withdrawal of government plans to reform the public pensions, legal suits aimed at banning the union and fair investigation into the cause of the Sewol ferry disaster.

Judging from their demands, it is not hard to believe that the two unions are initiating a political campaign against the government. The ferry disaster has nothing to do with labor issues.

The KCTU chose Feb. 25, the second anniversary of Park’s inauguration, as the date to announce its plan for the general strike, and it demanded an exclusive meeting with the president ― knowing well that it would never be accepted.

All these things bolster the suspicion that the two radical labor groups are moving to lay the ground work for a political offensive against the Park government on behalf of or in tandem with the nation’s progressive forces.

The KCTU and the teachers’ union cannot avoid the criticism that they are trying to defend their vested interests either, as their demands include withdrawal of the reform plans for the labor market and the civil servants’ pension scheme.

It did include issues such as an increase of the minimum wage in its demands, but we know from experience that these are only peripheral issues and its major target will be labor market and pension reforms.

The KCTU embraces government workers’ unions that strongly oppose a pay-more, receive-less reform of the deficit-ridden civil service pension plans. Teachers at public schools also subscribe to the government workers’ pension system.

The unions’ protest against the government plans to address problems in the labor market ― specifically the issue of temporary, part-time workers, is also more geared toward protecting their members, a majority of whom come from large conglomerates. Put simply, the unionists are trying to protect their interests and privileges under the cover of a labor movement.

The unions’ move also runs counter to the nation’s efforts to forge a consensus on the same issues of labor market and government workers’ pension plan reforms.

Though lacking notable progress, the tripartite committee of government, employers and labor has been discussing reform of the labor market, and changes to the public pension are also being tackled by the National Assembly and an ad hoc panel.

This being the case, the KCTU should have joined the discussions first, instead of trying to foil the hard-won opportunity to form a “grand social compromise” on the thorny issues.

Moreover, the Korean economy cannot afford disruptive labor activity: it is stuck in a long-extended slump and low-growth trap, domestic demand is not reviving, household debts are spiking, young people are struggling with a lack of decent jobs, and retirees are toiling to make ends meet.

We cannot address these problems without reforms ― including making our labor market healthier and the government workers’ pension plans more self-sufficient. Unwarranted interventions and resistance by radical unionists could derail these crucial reforms.