Despite the end of a two-day general strike, some unionized medical workers continued a walkout across the country Sunday, causing patient inconvenience and disruptions at hospitals.
On Friday, around 45,000 nurses, caregivers, and other members of the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) from 140 medical institutions nationwide ended their two-day general strike meant to demand better working conditions and greater state support for public medical institutions.
But some of them have yet to reach an agreement with their respective management side on details and have been on a strike, according to the union.
The collective actions continued at Korea University Medical Center, which became the only major hospital in Seoul where labor and management have failed to reach an agreement.
It runs two medical centers in Seoul — Anam and Guro hospitals — and its Ansan hospital is in the city of Ansan, south of Seoul.
Other hospitals where workers have not yet returned to work include Ajou University Medical Center and Hallym University Medical Center, both located in Gyeonggi Province, as well as several other medical clinics in the southwestern city of Gwangju and the eastern province of Gangwon.
At Pusan National University Hospital, in particular, some 80 percent of about 3,500 unionized workers have joined the walkout. It is the largest medical institution in the southern port city of Busan.
Striking medical workers have called for an expansion of the integration of nursing and caregiving services, and the institutionalization of a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1 to 5.
“If the union of each hospital fails to reach a deal with the management, workers will not return to work. We will continue talks with the health ministry to improve working conditions for medical workers and to expand public medical services,” a KHMU official said.
The ministry and the union have held three rounds of meetings since Friday and discussed measures to overcome difficulties that medical workers are facing.
Source: Yonhap News Agency