South Korea: Nurses’ and medical workers’ union votes on whether or not to strike over pay hike issue
Seoul, Aug 19: A nationwide union of nurses and medical workers in South Korea began voting on Monday on whether or not to strike over a pay hike issue, union officials said, a move that could put further pressure on public health services amid an ongoing strike by trainee doctors.
The Korean Union of Health and Medical Workers, which has about 30,000 nurses and medical workers as members in 62 hospitals, has demanded a 6.4 per cent pay hike, but hospitals are unlikely to accept the demand as the strike has hurt their business, Yonhap news agency reported.
If the union votes to strike and fails to narrow differences in talks with hospitals, it will go on strike on August 29, according to union officials.
Nearly 12,000 trainee doctors have left their workplaces since late February in protest against the government’s plan to increase the number of medical students.
A union official said the union was unlikely to bridge the gap with hospitals because “the situation in hospitals is very difficult because (trainee doctors) refuse to provide medical treatment and the bed utilisation rate is very low.”
Union officials said even if the union decides to strike, nurses and medical staff in essential services would continue to work in accordance with the law.
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