Jeonnam National University Hospital Union Announces General Strike on the 23rd if Staffing and Working Conditions Are Not Improved

94% of All Union Members Vote for Strike
Hospital Management: "Worsening Business Conditions... Hard to Accept"

The labor union of Jeonnam National University Hospital, the leading general hospital in the Jeonnam-Gwangju region, has announced a general strike scheduled for July 23, demanding additional staff and improved working conditions.

As of July 15, according to the labor and medical sectors, the Jeonnam National University Hospital branch of the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union held a strike approval vote among its members on the previous day, as it failed to reach an agreement with management in wage and collective bargaining negotiations.

Exterior view of Chonnam National University Hospital.

Of the total 2,608 union members, 2,402 (92.2%) participated in the vote, with 2,263 members (94.1% of voters) voting in favor of the strike, thereby approving the motion.

Accordingly, the union plans to hold a pre-strike rally on the evening of July 22, should the final mediation meeting by the Jeonnam Regional Labor Relations Commission collapse without an agreement that day. It will then begin a full-scale strike from the morning of July 23. However, essential medical staff in areas such as the emergency room and intensive care unit, whose work is directly related to patient lives, will not participate in the strike and will continue to work as usual.

The biggest disagreement between the union and the hospital management is over staff expansion and improved working conditions. The union points out that the shortage of medical staff on the front lines has become severe, both after the mass outbreak of COVID-19 and in the current situation of ongoing conflict between doctors and the government. They are strongly demanding that vacancies arising from retirements and natural turnover be filled quickly, along with substantial restoration of benefits and improved treatment for night-shift workers and those on standby for emergency home calls.

In contrast, the hospital management maintains that it is difficult to respond favorably to the union's demands for large-scale staff increases and wage hikes, citing worsening business conditions in and outside the medical sector.

Both labor and management plan to continue behind-the-scenes negotiations until the final mediation deadline on July 22 in hopes of finding a voluntary compromise and avoiding the worst-case scenario of a strike. If the strike does take place, it will be the first work stoppage at Jeonnam National University Hospital in five years since September 2021, when the union held a five-day strike over staffing issues.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.