What is this?

Why?

But why strike?

So what are the costs and risks?

When?

I’m not a self-employed GP / I’m retired. What can I do?

How do I express interest or find out more? (use the expression of interest form on the right if viewing on a computer, or tap here if on mobile)

What is this?

We are inviting all GPs in Australia to take a single day off work to protest against the Australian Government’s support of climate polluters at the expense of public health.

Why?

Climate change is a health emergency, as acknowledged by the Australian Medical Association and multiple Australian medical colleges. The Australian Government’s 2025 National Climate Risk Assessment warned that heat-related death rates in Australian capital cities could rise three to fivefold in the next thirty years. This would equate to over 5,000 deaths per year in 2055. Globally, heat already kills over half a million people every year. Climate change also increases the risk of bushfires, floods, cyclones, air pollution, spread of infectious diseases and mental health impacts.

The main driver of climate change is the burning of coal, oil and gas, which accounts for roughly 90 per cent of global carbon emissions. The Australian Medical Association, RACGP and RACP have all called for a ban on new fossil fuel production and investment in renewable energy. Despite this, the Australian Government has approved 37 new, expanded or extended coal, oil and gas projects since coming to power in 2022, with approval timeframes extending up until 2081, emitting greenhouse gases equivalent to over 12 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year in Australia alone (without counting the pollution created when burnt overseas). Australian governments are also handing these industries over $16 billion of taxpayers’ money in subsidies every year.

The Australian Government’s love affair with coal, oil and gas industries is an act of gross negligence towards public health and the public interest. It is a betrayal of both current and future generations. As custodians of public health we must act urgently and strategically to right this wrong and save lives.

But why strike?

The Australian Government’s ongoing approvals of and enormous subsidies for coal, oil and gas projects, despite the warnings of multiple medical institutions, proves that creating position statements, media releases and lobbying are insufficient to solve this problem and other tactics are required.

Self-employed GPs are in a uniquely powerful position to dramatically change public discourse on climate change and fossil fuels by simultaneously taking a single day off work, for two reasons:

1. Doctors are consistently rated amongst the most trusted professions both in Australia and worldwide. When doctors take collective public action, it influences public opinion and creates headlines. Furthermore, GPs are the cornerstone of our health system, and access to GPs is a major policy platform of the Australian Government. Therefore any significant collective action by Australian GPs, particularly one that implies any threat to the Australian Government’s mission of maximising access to GPs, will make headlines and have major influence on the Australian Government.

2. GPs who are self-employed have much more control over their own work hours than employees in any sector. Employees going on strike face potential legal risks and risks to their employment. Self-employed GPs do not face these risks. Therefore our ability to simultaneously take time off work is much greater than most.

So what are the costs and risks?

1. Financial. As a self-employed GP, by taking a day off work, you will lose that day’s income. On the other hand, you can also enjoy a day off. Hopefully this is a good deal when you factor in that you will also be helping address a public health emergency.

2. Risks to patients and communities. These may be larger if you work in a community that already has limited access to health services due to geographical or other reasons. We want to minimise adverse impacts on people’s health and also enable as many people as possible in the strike irrespective of their circumstances. There are several steps that can help with this:

   • Give your patients and community several weeks’ or months’ notice of a strike date (see below regarding the strike date)

   • Consider, instead of offering no services on the strike day, allowing only “urgent” or “on the day” appointments for that day. A single day without regular booked appointments is still a change to business as usual and counts as participating in and supporting the strike.

   • Consider taking half a day off or mixing with the above option

When?

Probably in 2027. We will decide on a strike date once we have enough expressions of interest to be confident that conducting a strike is worthwhile. This threshold is also TBC. For example, it might not be worthwhile running a strike with just ten people. Fifty or a hundred might make the news. A thousand would have an impact so large it’s difficult to imagine. For now, please register your interest and we’ll keep in touch about deciding on a strike date that is most strategic and feasible for as many participants as possible. (We're planning an initial discussion in late Oct / early Nov - fill in your availability here)

I’m not a self-employed GP / I’m retired. What can I do?

Great question. If you are another self-employed professional, and can therefore also take a single day off work without legal or employment implications, please register your interest and note your circumstances, as you can participate in the strike in the same way and we can keep track of how many GPs and non-GPs are participating. If you cannot strike (e.g. if you’re retired) you can still certainly help us by spreading the word about this campaign, particularly to GPs. Please ask them to learn more at this website.

If you’re a salaried employee (e.g. a salaried GP, other doctor, nurse, allied health or other employee) and would like to organise a strike to coincide with the self-employed GP strike, this may be more complicated but we’re definitely open to working together - please write in the signup form below and we can discuss.

I’m interested in learning more. How do I express interest?

Please use the form on the right of this page if viewing on a computer, or tap here if on mobile.

Anything else?

If you’re still not convinced (or even if you are), remember that if people didn’t try something new to stop injustice, slavery would still be common today. Abolitionist Frederick Douglass had this to say in 1857:

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation… want crops without plowing up the ground. They want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters. This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be a physical one; or it may be both moral and physical; but it must be a struggle.”

Please be part of the solution. Express interest by using the form on this page to find out more.