The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU), which has announced a nationwide general strike on the 13th, held a simultaneous eve-of-strike rally at medical institutions nationwide on the 12th, entering the final countdown to the strike.
The Health and Medical Workers' Union is shouting slogans demanding the expansion of medical personnel and support for infectious disease-dedicated hospitals at the eve of the general strike held at Ewha Seoul Hospital on the afternoon of the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the same day at 6 p.m., KHMU held an eve-of-strike rally at Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital and other locations, declaring the start of the strike. Na Soon-ja, Chairperson of KHMU, emphasized, "The reason we have launched the sector-wide general strike struggle is to resolve staffing issues on the ground, to secure just compensation for health and medical workers who fought against COVID-19, and to block labor reforms. Our struggle is a fight to protect public health and ensure patient safety."
It is expected that approximately 65,000 union members from 127 branches and 145 workplaces will participate in this general strike. The workplaces subject to the strike include 29 branches of private university hospitals, 12 branches of national university hospitals, 12 branches of special-purpose public hospitals, 26 branches of the Korean Red Cross, and 26 branches of local medical centers. Although the so-called 'Big 5' large hospitals in Seoul will not participate, national university hospitals, private university tertiary hospitals, and public medical centers have announced their participation. Among the 45 tertiary hospitals nationwide, 18 are known to be participating in the strike. The union has decided to maintain essential medical personnel such as emergency rooms, operating rooms, intensive care units, and delivery rooms. However, considering that about 65% of KHMU members are nurses, confusion in outpatient care and medical examinations is inevitable.
The KHMU general strike is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. on the 13th. From 1:30 p.m., union members gathered from across the country will hold a sector-wide general strike rally in front of Dongwha Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, and then participate in the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) general strike rally starting at 3 p.m., followed by a street march. KHMU declared, "If employers and the government do not present practical and progressive alternatives, we will proceed with an indefinite general strike as planned." On the 14th, regional base strikes and nationwide base strikes will be carried out, and general strike rallies will be held in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and Sejong, respectively.
On the 12th, one day before the general strike of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, a large poster related to the strike was posted at Ewha Mokdong Hospital in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
The Ministry of Health and Welfare, which has launched an emergency response, held an urgent meeting with the heads of tertiary hospitals participating in the strike to discuss countermeasures to prevent medical service gaps. The ministry has formed a 'Medical Institution Strike Situation Monitoring Team' and has been continuously checking the response system in preparation for the general strike. It issued a 'concern' level alert for the health and medical disaster crisis and has been operating 'Emergency Medical Response Situation Rooms by Province' since the 11th. Through this, a 24-hour emergency medical system is maintained at emergency medical centers, and local governments have identified emergency medical institutions and hospitals/clinics currently providing care to inform residents and post the information on public health center websites. Additionally, lists of medical institutions expected to experience treatment disruptions have been provided through the Health and Welfare Call Center and others.
Park Min-soo, the 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, said at the meeting, "At a time when the government is pursuing various policies to improve the medical field from multiple angles, a strike that could seriously harm patients' lives and health by citing the timing of government policy implementation is unjustifiable. The KHMU should withdraw its strike plan and stay by the patients' side." He added, "The government will continue to listen to voices from the field and make improvements while steadily implementing essential medical measures and nursing workforce support measures."
He also urged the heads of tertiary hospitals, "Please ensure that essential services such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms are faithfully maintained so that healthcare workers can perform their duties as usual and stay by the patients' side." Vice Minister Park also listened to the labor-management negotiation status and response plans for each medical institution and requested cooperation with local medical institutions to ensure that patient care is not neglected.
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