Seoul National University Hospital Union: "Only Doctors' Salaries Raised? Total Strike on the 11th"

95.9% Support for Strike Initiation
Demanding Strengthened Public Service and Workforce Expansion

The Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union announced on the 2nd that it will hold a general strike on the 11th, criticizing newly appointed Hospital Director Kim Young-tae for focusing solely on raising doctors' wages.

The Seoul National University Hospital Branch of the Seoul Regional Branch of the Medical Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions issued a press release on the same day, pointing out that the management is raising doctors' wages and paying a total of 70.6 billion KRW to doctors alone. The union stated, "On the 14th of last month, during collective bargaining, the hospital's operating committee approved a plan to increase doctors' medical fees by more than 10 billion KRW," adding, "Looking at the details, 27.1 billion KRW (an average of 57.7 million KRW per person) will be paid to 469 doctors, including additional increases in 'medical fees.'"

They continued, "In addition, 43.5 billion KRW will be spent as performance bonuses under the name of 'medical contribution allowance' for doctors," noting, "This amount is enormous compared to the total wage increase of 7 billion KRW for over 8,000 employees at Seoul National University Hospital last year." The union strongly criticized, "The hospital director, who is the head of the country's top medical institution, is turning doctors who take pride in working as public hospital physicians into money-driven doctors."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The union also pointed out that the management is not showing sincerity in collective bargaining. The union stated, "Since July 11, we have conducted 16 rounds of collective bargaining (main negotiations) between labor and management, but the hospital side has not presented any acceptance proposals," and announced, "On the 11th, over 3,700 union members will begin an indefinite general strike." Seoul National University Hospital also held a three-day general strike last November for similar reasons.

The union demands include ▲abolition of the doctors' performance-based pay system, establishment of public healthcare allowances, prohibition of reducing the number of beds in the Children's Hospital and implementation of free medical care, protection of patient information, reduction of for-profit subsidiaries, and strengthening of medical publicness ▲recruitment of 114 essential personnel ▲real wage increases and improvement of working conditions.

In a strike vote conducted from the 22nd to the 26th of last month, the union's strike proposal was approved with a turnout rate of 89.4% and a 95.9% approval rate. This union includes workers from Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul Metropolitan Boramae Hospital.