More than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers walked off the job in several US states to protest low wages and shortage of workers in the health sector.

US health sector workers announced the beginning of a major strike, explaining that the shortage of staff was harming patient care.

This strike, announced Wednesday, comes in a year that also witnessed strikes by workers in various industries from entertainment to hospitality.

The workers on strike include nurses, home health aides, X-ray and lab technicians. Union members are seeking to increase wages and increase the number of employees. Meanwhile, doctors did not participate in the strike.

An executive at Kaiser Permanente said that compensation and employee retention are better than resorting to competitors.

Kaiser Permanente is one of the largest insurance companies and healthcare system operators in the US.

Source: Qatar News Agency