Labor unions at 18 medical institutions in the Gyeonggi region have announced plans to go on strike on July 23, citing a failure to narrow differences with management during wage and collective agreement negotiations.

The Gyeonggi Regional Headquarters of the Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union (KHMU) announced on July 20 that a vote on industrial action, held from July 8 to 16 among 7,983 members across 18 workplaces in the province, passed with an 81 percent turnout and a 94 percent approval rate.

The 18 workplaces involved in the vote include Hallym University Medical Center (Pyeongchon, Dongtan, Gangnam, and Hangang branches), Gyeonggi Provincial Psychiatric Hospital, the National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi Medical Center (Suwon, Anseong, Uijeongbu, Icheon, Paju, and Pocheon branches), Dongguk University Hospital, Ajou University Medical Center, Gyeonggi Red Cross institutions, Gwangmyeong Sungae Hospital, Metro Hospital, and Wonjin Green Hospital.

The union stated that if an agreement is not reached between labor and management during the mediation period, they will begin a strike starting at 7:00 a.m. on July 23.

However, whether the strike actually takes place is expected to depend on the progress of negotiations at each individual workplace.

Personnel in essential medical fields, such as emergency rooms, will not participate in the strike.

The KHMU, which consists of nurses and medical technicians, has previously filed for labor dispute mediation with the National Labor Relations Commission for 103 medical institutions and organizations nationwide, including the 18 in the Gyeonggi region.

The union is demanding a 6.36 percent increase in total wages this year to secure a standard cost of living, guarantee a living wage, and improve income distribution.

Additionally, their core demands include the institutionalization of healthcare staffing standards, the hiring of more personnel, the establishment of patient-to-staff ratios, the securing of substitute workers, the formalization of clinical support duties, and the full implementation of a five-day workweek along with pilot programs for a four-day workweek.

A union official stated, "In particular, for the six hospitals under the Gyeonggi Medical Center, agreements signed by labor and management in 2022 and 2025 have not been implemented for a long time, and the issue of ordinary wages remains unresolved." The official added, "As one-person protests urging a resolution have been continuing for nearly 100 days in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office, we urge Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Medical Center to make a prompt decision."

(Photo: Yonhap News)