'Resident Resignation' Leads to Hospital Emergency Management with Unpaid Leave... "Shifting Burden to Medical Workers"

Representatives of labor unions from training hospitals for residents in the Seoul area have demanded the prompt return of residents and measures to normalize hospital operations, claiming that healthcare workers are facing unfair treatment amid the declaration of emergency management by each hospital.

On the 1st, representatives of labor unions from 19 training hospitals in Seoul held a press conference in front of Yonsei University Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, stating, "Hundreds of healthcare workers are being forced into unpaid leave and subjected to unilateral wage cuts as hospital wards are closed under the name of 'emergency management' due to doctors' collective actions."

Representatives of labor unions from training hospitals for residents in the Seoul area held a press conference titled "Meeting of Labor Union Representatives of Large Medical Institutions, Statement on the Prolonged Medical Refusal Crisis" in front of Severance Hospital in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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At the press conference, Kwon Mi-kyung, chairperson of the Severance Hospital labor union, said, “As the situation prolonged, hospitals chose to squeeze workers instead of making efforts to normalize the situation,” adding, “Unpaid leave has become widespread, and pressure to take unpaid leave is increasing.” She also pointed out, “In some hospitals, orders are being given to conduct more tests and treatments to compensate for revenue losses.”

Lee Kyung-min, head of the Seoul Asan Hospital branch of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, also stated, “Healthcare workers are being forced into unconditional unpaid leave by management, and with the extension of the leave period, there are concerns about taking extended leave,” adding, “There are even talks about wage arrears, restructuring, shutdowns, and closures.”

Song Eun-ok, head of the Korea University Medical Center branch of the Health and Medical Workers' Union, criticized, “Nurses did their best to support the remaining professors at the hospital so they would not burn out and could work hard until the residents returned,” but “what came back were ward closures, consolidations, implementation of unpaid leave, and even resignations of medical school professors.”

Meanwhile, representatives of labor unions from each hospital called for ▲ the return of residents ▲ withdrawal of collective resignation by medical school professors ▲ hospital management’s measures to normalize hospital operations ▲ and reflection of hospital workers’ voices in government medical reform discussions.

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