Fulfill the 9.2 Labor-Government Agreement! The KHMU starts a hunger strike in front of the National Assembly.

On 24th (Wed), President Na Soon-ja and Vice President Lee Sun-hee went on a hunger strike.

 

From the evening on 24th (Wed), the KHMU President Na Soon-ja and Vice President Lee Sun-hee went on an indefinite hunger strike to urge the government to: implement 9.2 agreement between labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, increase the budget to secure health workers and public medical services, amend related laws and acts.  

 

To the Special Committee on Budget and Settlement of the National Assembly, which is reviewing the government budget for next year, the KHMU is requesting an increase of 368.8 billion won in public medical budget. The increase in the budget was already set and decided by the ruling and opposition parties in the Health and Welfare Committee of the National Assembly, in order to implement the labor-government agreement signed on September 2.

 

In addition, the two leaders at the KHMU are urging the National Assembly plenary to pass the three acts on public health and the amendment of laws related to new fund for public medical services - which can be raised from tobacco consumption tax income - through the fast-track. The three acts refer to exemption from preliminary feasibility study mandate; expansion of the portion of national treasury in contributions; financial support taking a risk of deficit, when expanding or establishing public medical institutions. These are essential to the construction and reinforcement of public medical institutions in 70 medium-level medical units nationwide.

 

As the number of confirmed cases is increasing with the government’s new approach of ‘the Step-by-Step Return to Pre-COIVD 19 Daily Normal’, all indicators such as the utilization rate of beds for critically ill patients, the number of patients with severe symptoms and deaths are rapidly deteriorating. And the medical capacity is showing limitations in response to the worsening situations. The 9.2 agreement was signed to overcome the infectious disease crisis, and it ensures the expansion of public health services and health care workers, which is a fundamental measure to return to pre-COVID 19 level of daily normal. However, the government budget for next year that is now being reviewed in the National Assembly is far short to implement the labor-government agreement.

 

At 4:30 pm on 24^th, the health and medical union held a resolution rally in front of the National Assembly before the start of the hunger strike.

 

At the rally, President Na Soon-ja pointed, “In meetings with the representatives of the ruling and opposition parties and many lawmakers after the 9.2 agreement, everyone said that they would prepare a budget for implementation, but now they are only making excuses, blaming the Ministry of Economy and Finance. The Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki also promised that he would actively reflect the budget for implementing the 9.2 agreement, but looking at the current discussions between the ruling and opposition parties, the budget for 9.2 agreement is not being recognized as a core policy budget and is being pushed to a lower priority.”