Health and Medical Workers' Union: "A Reality That Cannot Be Endured by Devotion"... Government: "Negotiations with a Progressive Approach"

Prolonged COVID-19 Deepens Burnout
80% of 3-Shift Nurses Contemplate Resignation
"Current Quarantine Measures Unsustainable"
Labor Union Demands 8 Key Measures Including Hospital and Workforce Expansion

Government Acknowledges Staff Exhaustion, Seeks Solutions
"Will Engage in Dialogue to Avoid Strikes"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] The decision by the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union to proceed with a strike on the 2nd of next month despite marathon negotiations is interpreted as a result of medical personnel reaching their fatigue limits due to excessive work since the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the union has repeatedly appealed to the government for measures to address the shortage of medical staff, the prolonged COVID-19 situation without proper acceptance of these requests has led them to resort to the extreme measure of striking.

Medical Staff Exhausted by Prolonged COVID-19... Union Says High Strike Approval Rate Reflects Desperation

Na Soon-ja, chairperson of the Health and Medical Labor Union, stated at a press conference on the 27th, "The strategy of overworking medical personnel as a quarantine measure is no longer sustainable," adding, "If the government tries to pass this off with patchwork solutions without clear remedies, the Health and Medical Labor Union will have no choice but to strike to protect the lives of the people." The union filed simultaneous dispute adjustment requests with 124 branches (136 medical institutions) on the 17th of last month and conducted a strike approval vote from the 18th to the 26th of this month. Chairperson Na emphasized, "The high approval rate shown in the general strike struggle reflects the desperation of the medical field that can no longer endure as is," and stressed, "We will definitely secure workforce expansion and improved treatment, establish infectious disease specialized hospitals, and expand public healthcare."

The union's eight core demands are ▲ establishment of infectious disease specialized hospitals ▲ expansion of public hospitals ▲ establishment of COVID-19 medical personnel standards ▲ institutionalization of life safety allowances ▲ establishment of appropriate staffing standards by occupation ▲ improvement of the nursing grade system ▲ expansion of integrated nursing and caregiving services ▲ and expansion of physician workforce. The union expressed frustration, stating, "While some issues such as strengthening the functions of the National Medical Center, transferring jurisdiction of national university hospitals, and enhancing the public nature of private university hospitals and small to medium-sized private hospitals have seen narrowed differences, the core issues ultimately failed to reach an agreement and ended without results."

According to the union, the difficulties faced by frontline medical sites have intensified as COVID-19 has prolonged. The union appealed, "One COVID-19 dedicated hospital increased its beds from 160 to 290 as confirmed cases rose but did not increase staff," adding, "Nurses, heavily equipped with protective suits, goggles, masks, and face shields, must handle not only general nursing but also meals, cleaning, and toileting, requiring two to three times the staff compared to general patients."

Nurses' burnout is also worsening. The union stated, "80.1% of nurses working three shifts are considering resignation, and 42.7% of new nurses resign within one year of joining," adding, "We have endured for one year and seven months, but we cannot sustain solely on a sense of duty amid an uncertain end to COVID-19." In a survey conducted by the union in March targeting 43,000 members, 40.7% of respondents reported experiencing "COVID blues (depression)."

Government: "Continuous Discussions to Prevent Strike"... Adjustment Period Until the 1st of Next Month

The government has expressed its intention to continue negotiations with the union to prevent the strike scheduled a week later. While forming a consensus on the exhaustion of COVID-19 personnel and seeking solutions, the government plans to continuously discuss areas of disagreement between the government and union through a mid- to long-term roadmap. Lee Chang-jun, Director of Health and Medical Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said, "The government has been proactively reviewing the proposals presented by the Health and Medical Labor Union and providing responses," adding, "We will actively engage in dialogue to prevent the strike."

If the union proceeds with the strike on the 2nd of next month, it will be the largest in history since 2004, when 10,000 people gathered. The strike will include the National Medical Center, a COVID-19 dedicated hospital, 24 regional medical centers, as well as 29 large private university hospitals such as Seoul Asan Medical Center and Korea University Medical Center, making disruption in the medical field inevitable. However, since doctors are not included in the Health and Medical Labor Union and hospital operations are classified as essential public services, essential personnel must be maintained during the strike, making it unlikely to cause a full-scale medical crisis. Both the government and the union are expected to meet again soon for dialogue, as the adjustment period remains until the 1st of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.