Thousands of South Koreans march in anti-government rally

Workers from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) hold up banners during a rally in central Seoul, South Korea, April 24, 2015. About 260,000 workers took part in the nationwide one-day strike, including about 60,000 government employees and 10,000 teachers, according to the Korean Federation of Trade Unions. The banner reads "Strengthen public pension." [Photo/Agencies]

Thousands of anti-government protesters marched in cities across South Korea on Friday, denouncing the labor policies of the President Park Geun-hye.

The rallies were orchestrated by one of the country's two major umbrella labor unions. They come about a week after police clashed violently in the capital Seoul with demonstrators critical of the government's handling of a ferry disaster that killed more than 300 people a year ago.

Park Seong-shik, a spokesman from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said that a rally Friday attended by about 10,000 people in Seoul was held without significant conflict with police. Thousands of police officers, dressed in fluorescent yellow jackets, some carrying riot shields, marched through the streets near the Seoul City Hallt o keep the demonstrators in check.

Labor organizations are critical of policies they say will reduce wages and job security as well as being unhappy with a revised pension system for government employees and the economic dominance of family-owned conglomerates known as chaebol.

"The Park Geun-hye government must shift from current policies that serve only chaebol," KCTU President Han Sang-goon said during the rally.

Sporadic clashes were reported in other cities, including Daegu, where police used water cannons to disperse protesters occupying a road. There were no immediate reports of injuries from the clash.

Another large rally is planned in Seoul on Saturday when unionized workers plan to join groups supporting the families of the ferry disaster victims. They have been calling for the government to allow a more thorough investigation into the cause of the sinking.