Prime Minister Kim Meets Health Workers' Union: "Strike Damage Harms Public... Must Reach Agreement"

On the afternoon of the 1st, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum visited the site of the 13th labor-management practical negotiation between the National Health and Medical Industry Labor Union (Health and Medical Union) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, held at the Healthcare Accreditation Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and greeted officials from the Health and Medical Union. 2021.9.1
Photo by Yonhap News

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Son Seon-hee] On the 1st, Prime Minister Kim Bu-gyeom visited the site of practical labor-government negotiations between the Health and Medical Industry Labor Union (Health Labor Union) and the government, urging a smooth settlement of the negotiations. The Health Labor Union, having announced a general strike on the 2nd, held final negotiations with the government that afternoon.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Kim visited the 13th labor-government consultation held at the Medical Institution Evaluation and Certification Institute in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and said, "Considering the health of the people and patient safety, I ask both the government and the union to negotiate with an open mind and reach an agreement."

Regarding the union's demands, Prime Minister Kim said, "We will promptly implement what can be answered first, and for matters requiring system improvement and budget, we will resolve them through consultations with stakeholders and the National Assembly," adding, "We will do our best to ensure the implementation of the agreed matters between labor and government."

Prime Minister Kim also said, "Not only the government but all citizens are well aware of the dedication and sacrifice of healthcare workers who silently protected the COVID-19 medical frontlines," but he reiterated, "While we fully understand the difficulties of medical personnel, if you leave the field, the damage will return to the people."

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