Should Christians Strike?

Article originally published in Evangelicals Now on 12th December 2025

Industrial action has become a regular part of many of our lives in the past few years. The latest in a long run of resident doctor strikes called by the British Medical Association threatens to disrupt NHS care just days before Christmas. Over the festive period we are also set to see strikes affecting national bus and train services, air travel, and even cinema-going. Like all resident doctors in the UK, I have found myself wrestling with the difficult decision of whether to participate in escalating strikes over the last 2 years. How should we, as Christians, view and respond to calls for industrial action?

Christianity and Labour Relations

Interestingly, Christians have been historically broadly supportive of unionisation and collectivistic advocacy for workers’ rights. In his seminal 1976 book Christianity and Social Order Archbishop William Temple argued that ‘every citizen should have a voice in the conduct of the business or industry which is carried on by means of his labour…’, for ‘it is the responsible exercise of deliberate choice which most fully expresses personality and best deserves the great name freedom.’ He went on to argue that unionisation was one key routes by which workers could ensure their voices were heard. Christianity and Social Order eventually became the blueprint for the modern welfare state.

Similarly, John Stott argued in Issues Facing Christians Today:

‘Decision-making is a basic right of human beings, an essential component of our human dignity… In the West we now take political democracy for granted and are grateful to those who struggled long to secure universal suffrage, so that ordinary citizens might share in governing their country and in making laws they are then required to obey. Is the propriety of industrial democracy not equally self-evident?’

Temple and Stott believed that because each individual worker is a precious image-bearer of God, workers ought to have a share in the decision-making of their organisation, rather than simply being cogs in an institutional machine. Trade unions have become a natural route by which workers can gain this share in institutional decision-making.

Striking the Balance

However, this clearly does not justify all participation in industrial action, regardless of motives or consequences. With each industrial dispute, it is incumbent on individual Christians to examine their hearts and make a reasoned and prayerful decision about whether it is ethical and godly to withdrawal their professional services. In light of this, here are three questions that I have found helpful for weighing up the ethics of participation in industrial action.

1. Justice or Vengeance?

Firstly, is our decision to strike motivated by justice or vengeance? Christians are called, as followers of the God of justice, to seek justice and fight for the sinned-against (Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17). Justice has been the motivation for many notable strikes in history. For example, the female sewing machinists’ strike of 1968 eventually led to the Equal Pay Act (1970), which was the precursor to the Equality Act (2010). In contexts where workers are being unjustly treated or their legal rights are not being upheld, industrial action may not merely be justifiable but necessary.

However, what we must avoid as Christians is striking out of vengeance. It can be tempting to use industrial action to retaliate or “settle a score” against managers, industry executives or governments when workers feel poorly treated. However, as Paul writes in Romans 12:19: ‘Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.’

Whilst the line between justice and vengeance can be fine, it is an important distinction to discern in our individual hearts.

2. For Self or For Others?

Secondly, it is worth honestly reflecting on if our decisions to strike are motivated by the interests of self or of others. Throughout Scripture, Christians are repeatedly called to let go of our personal interests and desires for the sake of others. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3-4: ‘Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.’ Such self-sacrifice may end up impacting our wallets. For example, the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 not only shows love to his Jewish neighbour by giving him physical aid, crossing cultural and religious divisions, and risking his own life in bandit territory. When he gets to the innkeeper, he writes him a blank cheque to cover any further medial expenses (Luke 10:35).

I think it is perfectly possible to partake in industrial action for selfless reasons. One of the common arguments for the current resident doctor strikes is around staff retention and the potential long-term impacts on patient care if doctors continue to leave the NHS en masse due to poor pay and working conditions.

However, it is also easy to see how workers may be tempted to withdraw services and cause significant inconvenience to customers and service users simply for personal financial gain. It is worth honestly asking ourselves: for whom are we striking?

3. First Choice or Last Resort?

Third and finally, I would suggest that industrial action should be a last resort rather than first choice to resolve labour disputes.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, Paul commands the Thessalonicans:

‘…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.’

Paul’s command is for Christian workers to go about their ordinary work diligently and productively, avoiding kicking up a fuss. The phrase “lead a quiet life” is translated from the single Greek word “hésuchazó”, which literally means to “keep still” or “hold the peace”. The image is of a colleague who can be relied upon to keep their head down and get the job done.

Clearly, this does not preclude Christians from ever challenging authority, engaging in civil disobedience, or even breaking the law. The book of Acts is full of accounts of the apostles upending the civil order and sometimes landing up in prison as a result. I do not think we would label many of them as “leading a quiet life”.

However, what is clear from the book of Acts is that the apostles’ first choice was always to speak and act within the confines of what was legal and peaceable. Paul often went first to the synagogue in a new city, in order to speak and debate in his formal capacity as a Pharisee. In fact, when the environment started to get heated, Paul often slipped away to avoid confrontation. It was only when push came to shove, and obedience to God directly conflicted with obedience to the worldly authorities, that the apostles started to deliberately disrupt the civil order. Civil disruption in the book of Acts was a last resort, not a first choice.

For Christian workers today, we are called to do our work diligently, productively and peacefully. We should be good model colleagues and employees. However, there may be legitimate occasions when a godly cause demands us to challenge authority and disrupt the status quo. But this should be a prayerful last resort when all other routes have been exhausted, not our first choice.