Seoul National University and Kyungpook National University Hospitals Begin Indefinite Strike Today... Medical Service Disruptions Inevitable

The labor unions of Seoul National University Hospital and Kyungpook National University Hospital will begin an indefinite general strike from the 11th, demanding improvements in working conditions and increased staffing. These unions, composed of nurses, medical technicians, and other professions excluding doctors, may cause prolonged disruptions in medical services if no agreement is reached with the hospital management. There are also expectations that other national university hospitals might join the strike as labor and management fail to find common ground.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the Seoul National University Hospital branch of the Korean Public Service and Transport Workers' Union Medical Solidarity Headquarters under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, about 3,800 union members will start an indefinite general strike from 10 a.m. today, demanding better treatment and the restoration of public healthcare. In a strike vote held from the 22nd to the 26th of last month, 95.9% voted in favor of the strike.

The strike was triggered by the hospital management's decision to raise wages only for doctors with high salaries. The management decided to pay 27.1 billion KRW in medical allowances, including raises, and 43.5 billion KRW in performance bonuses under the name of 'medical contribution allowances' to 469 doctors.

The reason Seoul National University Hospital raised doctors' wages is that national university hospitals are designated as 'other public institutions,' which imposes a cap on total personnel expenses. Because their annual salaries are lower compared to private hospitals, the departure of doctors is accelerating. As of 2020, the average salary of doctors at national university hospitals and other public hospitals was 166 million KRW, only about 70% of the overall average doctor salary of 230 million KRW. In an April press conference, Kim Young-tae, director of Seoul National University Hospital, stated, “We will make every effort to secure essential medical personnel to properly perform essential medical services that protect the lives of the people.”

Moreover, union opposition intensified after a document from the National University Hospital Association requesting the government to exempt only doctors from the total personnel expense regulations for national university hospitals was made public.

Seoul National University Hospital Union General Strike
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A union official said, “In fact, for the positions converted to regular employment in 2019, the treatment is so poor that they earn less than 2 million KRW per month, yet there is no improvement in other professions' treatment, which is why there is backlash.” The union proposes resolving the issue by establishing a 'public healthcare allowance' that benefits multiple professions.

The union plans to continue the general strike until a negotiation proposal is reached. However, since doctors' surgeries, treatments, and emergency room operations will continue as usual, a major medical crisis is not expected. Some delays may occur in tasks such as blood and urine tests and X-ray imaging.

The Medical Solidarity branch at Kyungpook National University Hospital will also go on strike today, demanding the suspension of the government’s planned introduction of a job performance-based pay system, increased staffing, and substantial wage increases. They reject the government guideline of a 1.7% total increase for public institutions this year, considering last year's inflation rate of 5.1%.

There are concerns that patient inconvenience will continue as other national university hospitals join the strike. The Kangwon National University Hospital union plans to strike on the 26th if wage increase negotiations with the hospital management fail to narrow differences. Hospitals such as Ulsan National University Hospital and Chungbuk National University Hospital also plan to file for dispute mediation.

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