Photo : YONHAP News
Unionized workers at Seoul National University Hospital(SNUH) will launch an indefinite strike starting October 31 in protest of the government’s healthcare reform and poor working conditions.
According to the medical community on Saturday, the hospital’s union reached the decision during a meeting on Friday after its demands for maintaining the number of hospital beds, improving working conditions, and raising wages were not accepted by the hospital.
The union accused the Yoon Suk Yeol administration of pushing to reduce beds at high-level general hospitals, including SNUH, by up to 15 percent under reforms, and neglecting to improve working conditions for employees at public hospitals.
The union threatened to proceed with the strike unless the hospital agreed to reinforce the public healthcare system and to hire more personnel for the safety of workers and patients.