More than 1,600 South Korean doctor trainees walked off the job Feb. 20 to protest a government plan to drastically increase spots at medical schools aimed to reversing a shortage of physicians, according to Bloomberg.
About 6,415 doctor trainees at around 100 hospitals have submitted resignation letters, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said, and it has ordered more than 700 to return to work. The walkout has caused some hospitals to delay or postpone surgeries, but there have been no reports of major disruptions to the health care system, officials have said.
The government plans to increase the number of slots at medical schools next year by 2,000 from the current 3,058 to alleviate a shortage of doctors, which ranks among the worst among developed countries, Bloomberg reported. But the doctors said the move to increase spots at medical schools would not address fundamental problems such as difficult working conditions, a lack of specialists in fields seen as lower paying and a concentration of doctors in urban areas.
Starbucks and Union Agree to Work Out Framework for Contract Talks
The New York Times has reported Starbucks and the union that represents employees in roughly 400 of its U.S. stores have begun discussions on a “foundational framework” that would help the company reach labor agreements with unionized workers and resolve litigation between the two sides.
Representatives of both Starbucks and the union, Workers United, said that while details must be worked out, they hoped to be back at the bargaining table in the coming weeks. Negotiations between the two sides had largely lapsed over the past several months.
If a framework is agreed to and quickly leads to contracts, experts said, it could be a major development in labor relations in corporate America, where companies like Amazon and Apple have resisted union organizing to varying degrees.
EA to Cut 5% of Workforce
Video game company Electronic Arts announced Wednesday that it will cut 5% of its workforce, part of a plan that includes reducing office space and ending work on some video games.
CNBC reported the cuts may affect about 670 jobs. EA employed 13,400 workers as of the end of March 2023, according to its most recent annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in May.
EA chief executive officer Andrew Wilson wrote in a memo to employees that the company is “streamlining (their) operations to deliver deeper, more connected experiences for fans everywhere.”
The cuts will support EA’s “strategic priorities and growth initiatives,” according to a Wednesday filing with the SEC. The company expects its restructuring plan will be “substantially complete” by the end of December.
Deutsche Bank’s Return-to-Office Faces Backlash
After telling employees two weeks ago that all staff will be required to come in at least three days a week starting in June, Deutsche Bank AG is now being met with criticism from its staff in Germany.
Bloomberg reported a large number of employees made critical remarks on an internal messaging board since Deutsche Bank cut the time staff can work from home, according to a memo sent last Thursday by chief executive officer Christian Sewing and chief operating officer Rebecca Short. The two executives, who signed off on the initial decision, now plan to hold renewed talks with labor representatives about the changes, they said in the memo, which was seen by Bloomberg.
The return-to-office decision was a reversal from a policy introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic that allowed many employees to work from home as much as 60% of the time in an effort to increase flexibility and adjust to new ways of working.
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