An increasing number of unionized civil servants are returning to work following the apparent failure of a general strike to materialize.

Union members in the districts of Youngdo-gu in Pusan and Suseong-gu in Daegu officially announced their intent to pull out from the walkout - which had been scheduled to start on Monday. In Seoul, most public servants of the Jongro, Eunpyung and Seongdong districts didn’t participate in the strike.

Against this backdrop, the 140 thousand-strong Korean Government Employees' Union said in a statement that members currently participating in the strike would continue to do so and adhere to orders from the union leadership.

In response, the Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office announced Monday that it would employ stronger measures against striking government employees, saying that all workers continuing the walkout would be subject to criminal charges.

Some three thousand government workers on Monday were either absent from work without notice or had refused to work at their offices.

The union is demanding basic labor rights, including the right to collective action, but the government has so far been refusing the demand.