Moral Dilemma of Striking: A Medical Worker’s Response to Job Duty, Public Health Protection and the Politicization of Strikes

Abstract

The emergence of COVID-19 has led many countries to take strong border control measures. In Hong Kong, in reaction to government reluctance to close the border, more than 9000 medical workers went on strike. The strike lasted for five days only, yet it provoked a moral dilemma for healthcare occupations – when workers strike, citizens’ medical needs may be sacrificed. This article presents Jenna, a medical worker who went on strike, and her evaluation of the moral dilemma. Her account shows the ways in which different narratives shape power and politics and lend legitimacy to striking. Her example reveals the contested framing of professionalism – the struggle between job duties, workplace safety and a commitment to the public interest (public health). This contribution highlights how the moral dilemma of medical strikes can be resolved, and how the politicization of strikes can be legitimized by medical workers.

From marketising to empowering: Evaluating union responses to devolutionary policies in education

“…Most recently, the COVID-19 crisis has exposed the limits of these devolution-inspired reforms, with the NSWTF demanding the Department 'take back' central control of schools, eroded by LSLD (NSWTF, 2020). While the NSWTF successfully negotiated with the Department over vital matters, including PPE and enhanced school cleaning, seeking that the education 'system respond as a system' (NSWTF, 2020), there was no industrial action such as was exercised by essential service (healthcare) workers elsewhere (Hong Kong) contesting the framing of their profession (Li and Ng, 2021). While temporary wage freezes were introduced for NSW public sector workers during the pandemic to limit impacts on the state budget, in a climate of significant economic challenges for the state and greater reliance on teachers to support students' (online) education during the pandemic, union 'resistance' appeared incongruent with these conditions.…”

Vulnerability, Moral responsibility, and Moral Obligations: the case of Industrial Action in the Medical and Allied Professions

“…Kant cautions us that people should never be treated as an end only. While this maxim would seem to contradict utilitarian arguments that justify a strike based on its perceived long-term benefits to the public (Li and Ng, 2021 ), a critical reading of Kant shows that Kant’s focus on individual autonomy does not negate his concern for the welfare of groups or society. For example, White ( 2011 ) observes that although the moral agent is individualistic under Kantian ethics, this does not mean that people should be selfish or self-centered in making moral decisions, a position Kant himself rejects (IA 495ff).…”

“…Such a strike may be justified because it could in the long run generate benefits for a larger number of people. Both the strike in Nigeria and Hong Kong (Li and Ng, 2021 ) may have a social dimension as both actions could be deemed necessary for the greater good. The fact is the average citizen in developing countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana fit a subgroup of the vulnerable because of their economic and social conditions (Formosa, 2014 ) and failure to act in the interest of the greater good in the face of such dire situations may be unethical, and cause moral distress to physicians (Jameton, 2013 ).…”

“…Strikes that happen, in principle as a means of helping improve healthcare delivery may be justified based on a utilitarian approach alone. For example, Li and Ng ( 2021 ) in justifying a strike by medical personnel in Hong Kong, and seeking public empathy noted: We hope and believe Hong Kong citizens can understand our action, as we were striking for every single Hong Konger’s health and the public interest. It’s because of the nature of our occupation, our workplace safety has a significant influence on everyone’s safety.…”

An Empty Slogan that Detracts from Collaboratively Combating COVID-19 in Hong Kong

“…Strike. In spite of the unprecedented industrial action among medical frontline workers in public hospitals in February 2020 65 (as mentioned previously), which involved about 10% of the public hospital workforce 66 , the Chief Executive declined to meet with the union representatives about border closures to fend off imported COVID-19 cases, and instead shifted the issue from one of public interest 67 to an employer-employee conflict 68 . The Hospital Authority warned of disciplinary actions against its staff for the strike 69 , and finally, based on a so-called "established mechanism" 70 , a wage deduction was imposed owing to the strikers' absence of duty 71 .…”