"Essential Medical Staff Must Be Recruited"… Seoul National University Hospital Union Strikes for the First Time in 4 Years

On the 10th, the Seoul National University Hospital Labor Union held a strike rally in front of the main building of Seoul National University Hospital.
Photo by Kim Young-won

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] The Seoul National University Hospital labor union has launched a full-scale strike for the first time since 2018. After four years, the union went on strike, demanding an increase in medical personnel and the abolition of the public institution innovation guidelines.

On the 10th, the Seoul National University Hospital branch of the Public Transport Union Medical Solidarity held a "Seoul National University Hospital Union Full Strike Departure Ceremony" in front of the main building of Seoul National University Hospital at 10 a.m. About 900 union members in charge of administration, diagnostics, blood collection, food service, and patient transport gathered at the ceremony. From 2 p.m., a joint strike rally by the Medical Solidarity continued in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.

On this day, the union criticized the government's public institution innovation guidelines and emphasized the need to expand essential medical personnel. The public institution innovation guidelines include reducing the organization and staff of public institutions, including hospitals.

Hong So-ui, a negotiation committee member who spoke on site, said, "Nurses in the COVID-19 era are making the impossible possible every day, but the government is telling public hospitals to reduce nursing staff," adding, "Even one more staff member is not enough."

Park Kyung-deuk, head of the strike countermeasures headquarters, emphasized, "Even when patients fall from beds and do not receive proper treatment, and all hospital workers such as nurses and facility workers cry out and appeal that they cannot protect patients, the government and hospitals do not listen," and stressed, "Essential personnel must be increased."

The Seoul National University Hospital union had continued strikes for six consecutive years until 2018 but completed wage collective bargaining without strikes for the past three years. In 2018, the union went on strike demanding the direct employment and conversion to regular positions of indirectly employed non-regular workers such as cleaning, parking, and security staff, as well as the recruitment of insufficient personnel, reaching an agreement with the hospital after six days on November 26.

One reason for the strike after four years is the issue of appointing a new hospital director. The union stated, "We finalized the demands in July and have been negotiating for four months, but Hospital Director Kim Yeon-su wasted time citing the appointment of a new director and did not present an acceptance plan," adding, "At the end of August, the hospital submitted an innovation plan to the government that reduced personnel and welfare, so we had no choice but to strike."

The position of the hospital director at Seoul National University Hospital has been vacant since June. The Minister of Education proposes a candidate, and the president must make the final appointment, but no appointment has been made so far. Kim Yeon-su, whose term ended on May 31, is currently serving as acting director.

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