Criteria for a Just Strike Action by Medical Doctors

“…strike action by doctors that is prima facie unethical may be morally justifiable only under six conditions. These are that (i) the cause of the strike is just, (ii) (it should not inflict disproportionate harm on patients), (iii) the strike action has reasonable prospects of success, (iv) it is a last-resort action, (v) the decision to go on strike is taken by a legitimate authority representing the doctors, and (vi) a formal declaration of the strike is made to the public. The criteria uphold the prima facie moral presumption against strikes and do not encourage strike actions by doctors, but at the same time, recognise that special circumstances may arise which justify a strike.”

“Those who are already familiar with the traditional just war theory would recognise that these criteria borrow heavily from that theory. The theory, originally used in the context of war, provides a moral calculus for determining the moral justifiability of going to war…Several considerations serve as a justification for applying the criteria in the current setting:

1) Both war and strike action represent a dispute situation in which this last-resort, confrontational action is used to force the other party to yield to one’s demands. In fact, even the doctors involved in the strike often refer to their action as a fight or a war being waged against the employer.

2) Both actions are disruptive and may result in unintended “collateral” damage. These may include the loss of the lives of innocent people who may themselves not be directly part of the dispute. In acknowledgement of this, both doctors and soldiers often make a pledge before their confrontational action to do whatever is possible to minimise such collateral damage.

3) Both doctors and soldiers are charged with the noble duty of preserving life and preventing human suffering. A soldier is trained to fight with the ultimate aim of safeguarding innocent human lives and peace. It can be said that by restoring or defending peace, they play the role of preventing human suffering. Similarly, the mission of doctors is to prevent and reduce suffering resulting from an enemy which, in this case, is disease. The doctor’s act of going on strike is similar to the soldier’s act of going to war…”

SELEMOGO, M. . (2016). Criteria for a just strike action by medical doctors. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, 11 (1), 35. Retrieved from https://ijme.in/articles/criteria-for-a-just-strike-action-by-medical-doctors/