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I am sure we are all aware of various issues that the nurse’s cadre faces all over the world. In 2011-12 nurses went on strikes all over India, in various states, for better working conditions including remuneration and also against bond practice in private hospitals. This is not the first time that nurses have taken up industrial action. There have been strikes in India in 1970s as well following sexual assault of a nurse in the changing room. There have been protests in 1990’s following nurse’s portrayal in compromising positions in a movie. Not just in India, there is evidence of nurse’s collective action in Malawi in 2001, in 1986 the nurses from Victoria, Australia went on strike and in 2007 nurses went on strike in South Africa. There might be other examples around the world that have not been mentioned here. There are arguments whether nurses have the right to strike or not, whether they should strike, from an ethics perspective and a gender perspective. Global Research Nurses has members in different countries is a great platform. It would be great if you share any experience of nurse’s industrial action that you may have come across or heard of, what the consequences have been, should nurses unionize, whether you find nurses striking ethical. What can be the alternative options that can help nurses make their appeal heard by management/ government? I look forward to your responses and hope to have a very interactive discussion.

  • jobygeorge05 Joby George 26 Sep 2013

    That is a good article, thanks nicola

  • kmayra86 Kaveri Mayra 26 Sep 2013

    Thanks for sharing the link Nicola.

  • nicolamchugh Nicola McHugh 26 Sep 2013

    http://www.voanews.com/content/liberian-government-talking-with-striking-health-care-workers/1716851.html

    This is an article I found on PLOS about nurses striking in Liberia.

  • kmayra86 Kaveri Mayra 5 Sep 2013

    Thanks for your response Joby. The 2010-2011 strikes started after a staff nurse killed herself, unable to pay back her loan with the meager salary and trapped in a bond.

    I like the idea of 50% nursing staff on strike in turns. In a study done on people's perspective on the South African nurse's strike had this suggestion that said that they should do something like a lunch hour strike.

    though these ideas look good from a patient care and 'do no harm' perspective, i get confused thinking- isn't the whole point of going on strike and not providing services aimed at getting attention and put pressure on management? So, if they go on strike and half of them somehow take care of all the patients, where is the pressure? Why will the management consider looking at their demands? I am just trying to think through it. Nursing deals with human life, so there is this ethics perspective. Being an organized cadre bring the perspective of having the employee rights include forming union and demand for rights through negotiation and collective action. Strike is an extreme step when all other subtle strategies have failed. Can someone shed light from experience in other countries as well? listening to management response will be interesting.

  • jobygeorge05 Joby George 4 Sep 2013

    Nice topic for a good discussion,I'm a research nurse from india,there was a strike in india in the year 2007-2008 ,it was a widespread protests over nurses to sign a bond of 2-3 years for getting employed in hospitals and at the same time they need to submit there original certificates to the hospital management as security due to which all the nurses faced a lot of problem professionally and personally,at last the Govt.of India has to abide by the protests and issued Govt.Order to all the private hospitals in India not to take bond and certificates till there completion of Job,however the hospitals can verify the genuinity of certificates not holding the certificates.

    In India,nurses are of large in number and all belong to middle class families who completed there education by taking loans,one main challenge is that nurses are not paid according to there work,therefore they cannot afford to pay the interests and at the same time procure there family.For these cases which are the main hindrance for a nurse to explore there good service to humanity,I think strikes are essential inorder to address these kind of issues,at the same time stikes should be the one that may not harm the patients who are admitted in the hospital,suppose nurses wants to strike 50%of them can get back to duty so as not to affect the patients and rest of them can fight for there rights.

    There should be a law passed for the welfare of nurses across the globe and a regulatory agency who can monitor the grievances of nurses.

    thanks for giving an opportunity .

    Joby George RN/RM