Seoul National University Hospital Union Launches Full Strike... "Strengthen Medical Publicness"

Strike Resolution Passed with 93.8% Approval... Compliance with Essential Service Duties
"Staffing Increase and Improvement of Labor Conditions Are True Public Institution Innovation"
15 National University Hospitals Submit Plan to Government to Reduce 423 Staff

On the 10th, the Seoul National University Hospital labor union held a "Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union Full Strike Departure Ceremony" in front of the main building of Seoul National University Hospital at around 10 a.m. Photo by Gong Byung-sun mydillon@

More than 10 labor unions from national university hospitals, including the Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union, have launched a general strike. They strongly opposed the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's reduction of medical personnel and emphasized the need to strengthen public healthcare in response to the prolonged infectious disease situation.

On the 10th, the Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union held a "Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union Full Strike Departure Ceremony" in front of the main building of Seoul National University Hospital around 10 a.m. Approximately 3,900 union members from departments such as wards, administration, diagnostic testing, phlebotomy, and environmental cleaning participated in the strike. The union conducted a strike approval vote from the 29th of last month to the 2nd of this month, with a 93.8% approval rate (3,023 out of 3,845 total union members) deciding to proceed with the strike. However, the strike was planned to be conducted while maintaining essential services.

Along with the Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union, labor unions from more than 10 national university hospitals also joined the strike in line with the Public Transport Workers' Union Medical Solidarity Headquarters' general strike. The Public Transport Workers' Union Medical Solidarity Headquarters has held 15 rounds of negotiations with the government since August 17, demanding the strengthening of public healthcare. However, according to the public institution innovation implementation plan, 15 national university hospitals submitted a plan to the government to reduce 423 personnel.

Park Kyung-deuk, head of the strike countermeasures headquarters, said, "COVID-19 took many lives, but the government has come up with the wrong solution in this situation. Instead, it is creating policies that squeeze more by reducing hospital personnel and cutting workers' welfare." He added, "Patients are falling out of beds and not receiving proper treatment, and nurses, medical technicians, facility workers, and food service workers are crying out that they cannot protect all workers and patients, but the government and hospitals do not listen."

Ra Ok-ran, head of the situation room, pointed out, "We requested the first collective bargaining on July 19, but Kim Yeon-su, president of Seoul National University Hospital, avoided negotiations saying that his term was almost over and there was nothing to decide." She continued, "The first negotiation was held only in August this year, and there were no meetings for two months. Meanwhile, a personnel reduction plan was submitted to the government in accordance with the public institution innovation guidelines."

The labor union criticized the personnel reduction policy as a regressive policy. The union stated, "Considering the severe shortage of personnel and the prolonged infectious disease situation, large-scale recruitment and improvement of working conditions are necessary, which is the real innovation of public institutions." They also said, "Weakening public healthcare directly affects the lives and health of the people, and the demands of the government and management have put patients at risk and pushed hospital workers into extreme jobs."

A Seoul National University Hospital official said, "The strike is being conducted so that essential functions operate properly, and it has been confirmed that there are no disruptions." They added, "Support tasks such as meal distribution and patient transport were covered by substitute personnel."

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