The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union launched a two-day general strike on Thursday, demanding an expansion in medical personnel.

The union said it launched the strike from 7 a.m., adding that it will hold a rally in Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul later in the day.

Earlier on Wednesday, the union held pre-strike rallies across the nation. At one of the rallies held in Seoul, union chief Na Soon-ja said the strike is aimed at reducing the public’s nursing expenses and safeguarding patients by resolving the long-standing personnel shortage.

The last time the union went on a general strike was in 2004 when it called for the introduction of a five-day workweek system.

The union comprises some 85-thousand members including nurses, nursing aides, medical technicians, pharmacists, therapists and care workers, 45-thousand of whom will participate in the collective action, while essential personnel such as those in emergency rooms will not.

The union is demanding that standards be set on the adequate workforce level for each occupation, as well as an increase in the number of doctors, clarification of the scope and boundaries of duties and an expansion of a comprehensive state system for nursing and caregiving.

None of the top five hospitals in Seoul are joining the strike but 18 out of 45 high-level general hospitals around the nation are reportedly taking part. The National Cancer Center has canceled all scheduled surgeries for the two days while Pusan National University Hospital has sent some patients to other hospitals.