The Ministry of Health and Welfare has expressed concern over the National Health and Medical Workers’ Union’s announcement of a general strike on Thursday.
Minister of Health and Welfare Cho Kyoo-hong held the second emergency inspection meeting on Tuesday to review emergency treatment plans and the cooperation system of related organizations related to the healthcare union’s planned strike.
In the first emergency inspection meeting on June 28, the ministry announced a “stage of concern” for the disaster crisis, according to the “Standard Manual for Healthcare Disaster Crisis Management.”
At the second meeting, the ministry discussed emergency medical treatment measures, figuring out the situation of medical fields in each locality, and establishing a cooperation system with related organizations.
They also checked the implementation system to ensure that essential maintenance tasks, including emergency rooms, intensive care units, and operating rooms in local medical institutions, are maintained without a hitch.
"Healthcare unions should not join the political strike of the Korea Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) by turning a blind eye to the lives and health of the people, withdraw their strike plans, and remain by the side of patients in medical fields,” Minister Cho emphasized.
The government is actively collecting opinions from the medical field and experts on various issues raised by the unions and taking countermeasures, Cho added.
In this regard, the ministry explained that after announcing the “Second Comprehensive Plan for Supporting Nursing Manpower” on April 25, it formed a council for improving medical support personnel to start discussions on solving the problem of physician assistant (PA) nurses and unveiled a policy to expand the pilot project for improving the nurse shift system early and thoroughly.
It also plans to operate the Nursing and Caregiving Integrated Service System Development Council to prepare and announce a comprehensive improvement plan for nursing and caregiving integrated services.
“The government has firmly maintained its stance of guaranteeing the legal and legitimate exercise of rights by labor and management but strictly responding to illegal acts,” Cho said. “We will take all necessary measures to protect the lives and safety of the public, such as closely monitoring the situation in the medical field and checking regional emergency care plans to prevent inconveniences occurring due to void in medical services.”
Meanwhile, the healthcare union held a press conference at the union headquarters on Tuesday, announcing that 91.6 percent of its members voted in favor of an indefinite general strike in a referendum of 64,257 members in 127 branches and 145 workplaces. Voter turnout was 83.1 percent.
More than 64,000 members, or 75.5 percent of the total 85,000 members of the healthcare union, have secured the right to strike, of which more than 45,000 are expected to participate in the walkout, excluding 20 to 25 percent of essential maintenance workers.
The healthcare union warned that unless employers’ insincere bargaining and the government’s irresponsible attitude change, it would launch a general strike at 145 workplaces nationwide starting at 7 a.m. on Thursday.