Thousands of doctors and allied health workers walked off the job across Victoria’s public hospitals on Thursday, escalating a pay dispute that has dragged for more than a year without a signed enterprise agreement. Physicians stopped work for four hours in the afternoon; radiographers, physiotherapists, social workers and other allied staff began a twenty-four-hour strike covering forty-three facilities.
The Australian Medical Association’s Victorian branch called the stoppage a last resort after what it said were more than sixty meetings and repeated assurances that a government offer was imminent. Health Minister Ingrid Stitt said talks with the AMA continued and hoped for a resolution soon, but she could not confirm whether Victoria had tabled a formal pay proposal in the past fourteen months. The AMA said none had arrived.
Who is striking and why
Doctors’ action ran from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., timed to disrupt afternoon clinics and ward rounds without shutting emergency departments entirely. The Victorian Allied Health Professionals Association, representing workers such as medical imaging staff and hospital pharmacists, said members are among the lowest-paid allied health professionals in the country relative to cost of living in Melbourne and regional centres.
VAHPA began its twenty-four-hour strike at the same hospitals, arguing that twelve months of negotiations had produced only “promises.” The union wants wage increases that keep pace with inflation and recognition of workload growth since the pandemic, when waiting lists for scans and rehabilitation services ballooned.
Stitt emphasised that the government was “speaking with the AMA about its concerns” and noted parallel bargaining with nurses, whose deal was settled earlier this year. She did not detail contingency staffing plans beyond saying hospitals would prioritise urgent care.
Patient impact
Major metropolitan hospitals—including The Royal Melbourne, Alfred Health and Monash Health—reported postponed elective procedures and delayed outpatient appointments. Emergency departments remained open, but physicians warned that four-hour absences among senior registrars could slow triage during the afternoon peak.
Allied health strikes hit services patients often notice only when they fail: MRI slots, physiotherapy after joint replacements, and discharge planning that depends on social workers. VAHPA said members would return Friday unless the government moved on pay scales; the AMA has not announced further stoppages but reserved the right to escalate.
Victoria’s hospital system is still absorbing federal NDIS reforms and state budget pressure. Premier Jacinta Allan’s government has tied health funding to national cabinet agreements; unions argue that linkage should not delay basic wage offers for staff who stayed through COVID surges.
Politics and next steps
Opposition health spokespeople accused Labor of letting bargaining stall until industrial action forced a crisis. Stitt’s inability to confirm a written offer gives the AMA a potent talking point heading into another week of scheduled talks.
Industrial action in Victorian health is closely watched nationally because the state runs one of the largest public hospital networks and because its pay deals often set benchmarks for other jurisdictions. If Thursday’s strikes produce movement, Queensland and New South Wales unions may cite Victoria’s outcomes in their own negotiations.
For patients, the immediate effect is cancelled appointments and longer phone queues to reschedule. For the government, the test is whether it can table numbers before allied health workers exhaust goodwill—and before doctors trade a four-hour walkout for something longer.