Doctors strike as dispute over pay, conditions drags on

Exhausted doctors across Victoria are on strike, demanding improved pay and working conditions after months of negotiations with the state government. Thousands of doctors, united in solidarity, gathered outside Melbourne's Parliament House on Thursday, despite the rain, to voice their grievances. Union members have been locked in fractured talks with the government for over a year, with no agreement reached yet.

Health Minister Ingrid Stitt expressed commitment to resolving the issue, stating that her department is listening and dedicated to finding a settlement. The government met with union representatives on Thursday, hoping to provide the first meaningful offer to doctors. Chants of "shame" and signs highlighting the impact on families and patient care were seen among the crowd.

Doctors, such as Zak Doherty, who has been working for six years, argue that conditions need to improve immediately, requesting reduced shift lengths and additional rest days. While emergency departments were exempt from the strike, hospitals were fully staffed, with extra shifts in place. Opposition health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier warned that the coalition would engage in good faith negotiations with the union if elected in November, criticizing the current government for not grasping the system's complexity and the doctors' needs.