SEOUL – South Korean front-line health workers today dropped plans to strike after reaching an agreement with the government on their demand for increased staffing and better work conditions during last-ditch negotiations overnight.
The Korean Health and Medical Workers’ Union earlier warned that some of its 80,000 members, including nurses, medical engineers and pharmacists who say they are exhausted from battling waves of Covid-19 outbreaks, would begin striking from today if their demands were not met.
Upon the union’s request, the government agreed to establish at least four public infectious disease hospitals by 2024, draft detailed nurse deployment guidelines per severity of Covid-19 patients by October, and expand funding to subsidise those treating contagious diseases, to go into effect in January next year.
It also agreed to establish a recommended nurse-to-patient ratio. The United States has a recommended ratio of 1:5, and Japan, 1:7. South Korea has none.
The union argued that its workers are often working double or triple shifts, and need better pay and working hours.
The government and union had met for talks 12 times since May, including a 14-hour marathon session on Monday, but were unable to find common ground.
South Korea has fully inoculated 31.7% of its 52 million people against Covid-19, and 57.4% with at least one dose. The government wants 70% of its citizens to have had at least one shot by this month.
The country reported 1,961 new infections yesterday, raising its tally to 255,401, with 2,303 deaths. It has been keeping its mortality rate and critical infections relatively low at 0.9% and 371 cases, respectively. – Reuters, September 2, 2021
