Ballarat doctors strike over 84-hour rosters
Doctors rostered for 84-hour weeks strike four hours on October 1 after 14 months of failed pay negotiations.
Grampians Health doctors will stop work from 1:30pm to 5:30pm on Thursday in their second strike this year. Grampians Health doctors are fighting for better pay and safer shifts after 14 months of talks with Victoria's government yielded no concessions.
The core complaint: doctors face 84-hour rosters and frequently work longer when emergencies hit, leaving them exhausted and threatening patient safety. The doctors want shifts capped at 12.5 hours and at least three days off every fortnight to rest properly.
Emergency departments will be exempt from the strike and staffing will remain above Saturday levels to maintain patient safety. This action follows an earlier statewide 24-hour strike that was cancelled over safety concerns.
- 84
- Weekly hours
- 14 months
- Negotiation duration
- 4 hours on October 1
- Strike time
- September 3, 4 hours
- Earlier strike
Why it mattersExhausted doctors make mistakes; better working conditions protect both staff wellbeing and the safety of patients they treat.
AustraliaBallarat and regional Victoria rely heavily on these doctors. The strike signals a broader crisis in rural healthcare staffing that could affect service and wait times across the state.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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