Jeonnam National University Hospital Labor and Management Reach Tentative Collective Agreement, Averting Full-Scale Strike

Final Decision on Acceptance to Be Made Through Member Vote

The labor union at Jeonnam National University Hospital, which had previously warned of a full-scale strike after a 94% vote in favor of industrial action, has dramatically withdrawn its planned strike after reaching a tentative agreement following an all-night mediation meeting with management.

Exterior view of Jeonnam National University Hospital.

According to the Jeonnam National University Hospital branch of the Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union—affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions—on July 23, labor and management finalized a tentative agreement regarding this year’s wage and collective bargaining at around 7 a.m. after a fourth round of mediation.

The core elements of the agreement, reached after repeated pauses and resumptions in tough negotiations under the mediation of the Regional Labor Relations Commission, are wage increases and the recruitment of new staff. The union also secured key demands, including increased bonuses, improvements in working conditions and welfare, and measures to eliminate discriminatory treatment of operational support positions.

The union, which had maintained a strong protest stance by holding a strike eve rally the previous evening, canceled the full-scale strike kickoff ceremony and related press conference scheduled for 10 a.m. as the negotiations were dramatically concluded. As a result, the anticipated disruption in medical services and inconvenience to patients at a major regional hospital has been averted.

The union plans to hold a member vote on the tentative agreement in the near future to determine whether to formally accept it. Depending on the outcome of the vote, labor and management will continue detailed discussions on specific collective bargaining provisions.

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