The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union (KHMU) confirmed its July Industry-level General Strike.

 

Resolution to “More Workers, More Public Medical Services, No Privatization of Medical Services, No Labor Policy Reform for the Worse”

Continued Negotiation to secure “The Basic Labor Rights” for Every Worker in the Medical Industry

 

The KHMU decided to hold a general strike in July to raise its voice to secure an adequate level of health care workers and expand public medical services, as well as to stop the labor policy reform for the worse and the monetization/privatization of medical services.

 

The KHMUheld its first ad hoc congress on March 30 in a COEX conference room and finalized its 2023 bargaining demands, bargaining policy, and struggle plan. On this day, more than 300 union members, including 230 delegates and cadres, participated in the decision-making process.

 

 

The KHMU proposed as major demands for this year ▲expansion of integrated nursing service-provided wards and improvement of its operation ▲increase in manpower ▲ cessation of privatization and monetization of medical services ▲cessation of labor reform for the worse ▲ wage increase by 10.73% to secure a standard living cost, guarantee a living wage, and improve income distribution. In addition, the Union decided to demand for a raise in minimum wage for the health care industry in 2023 into KRW 11,930.

 

In particular, with regard to increased staffing, the KHMUdecided to require employers to comply with appropriate staffing standards for each occupation and to set a ratio of the number of patients per nurse by each shift for patient safety. For example, the ratio for general wards should be 1.5 patients per nurse in higher tier general hospitals and 1.7 in lower tier (excluding head nurses) by 2024. It also decided to demand that the division of work between occupations should be clarified so that "illegal medical care practices", which force one to work out of her scope of jobs, must not continue.

 

As for the demands to the government include: ▲solving the problem of more expensive care-giving costs than medical bill per se; ▲strengthening health insurance coverage to solve the burden of hospital expenses on the people; and ▲the establishment of public hospitals in nine regions including Daejeon, West Busan, Jinju, and Gwangju by 2025. The union also called for a complete halt to privatization and monetization of medical services, and an end to labor reform for the worse.

The health care union will hold an industry-level kick-off meeting with employers on May 3 based on these demands. In addition, from May 10, the union will negotiate “basic labor rights” with hospital associations and doctors' associations in order to apply the Labor Standards Law to all health care workers. As for industry-level negotiations on site, the bargaining requirements will be finalized by the end of April, and the kick-off meeting will be held simultaneously across all branches in early May. The union plans to hold an industrial general strike preparation rally on June 8.

 

In case that agreements are not reached between union members and employers, every branch of the union will apply for dispute mediation on June 27 and begin the industrial general strike on July 13. On July 7, the second ad hoc congress will be held. And the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) as well will organize a general strike in July.

 

The health care union will conduct one-day training for its members in March and April and will also introduce various means and vehicles to raise public awareness about their demands. A field survey containing various contents targeting all, including nurses and doctors, will be conducted and the result will be open to the public. In addition to the traditional means such as struggle breaking news, posters, and propaganda, ▲ memoirscontest for union members to be held by April 21; and ▲ subway station advertisement ▲ video advertisement inside of KTX trains ▲ PR activities on Shorts and Instagram will also be actively carried out.

 

At the conclusion of the congress, the KHMUadopted a resolution of “Let’s secure more health workers and public medical services, and stop privatization and monetization of medical services.”