A union of salaried doctors at medical institutions will be launched as early as September, the Korean Medical Association said Wednesday.

However, the establishment may cause a stir as such doctors, who now work overtime above the legal limit, have vowed to reduce their duties.

According to the nation’s largest interest group of doctors, the union will include about 40,000 doctors including residents, fellows, professors and others to raise issues concerning their rights.

Roh Hwan-kyu, head of the KMA said that it is time doctors are acknowledged as laborers.

“For a long time doctors have been classified as high-incomers bound to noblesse oblige. But in the big picture many of them are just salaried workers,” he said. Roh explained that doctors’ lack of knowledge in law had deterred them from forming a union but that the time is now ripe.

In a recent meeting of 300 residents, the participants agreed that an interest group to deliver their voice is necessary.

Roh said the first issue of the union will be urging employers to abide by the labor law for working hours.

“Many of them work for more than 100 hours a week, which is illegal. Especially many hospitals seem to regard residents as a cheap form of labor. Still, the doctors have not been able to pitch their voices against it because we were obliged with our responsibilities,” said Roh.

Roh said that class action by the doctors will now be possible.

“We are banned from holding strikes. But we could cut our duties to 40 hours a week, guided by the law,” he said. Also the doctors will have united and stronger voice in overall medical issues in the society, he said.

A medical insider agreed that salaried doctors have rights to form a union. “But if they cut down their duties the hospital operations may have to under drastic reform. It could be a huge problem,” he added.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)