Strike action by nurses in South Africa: a value clarification

Area of Science:

• Nursing Ethics
• Labour Relations in Healthcare
• South African Labour Law

Background:

• The Labour Relations Act (1991) legalized protected strike action, leading to the removal of the strike clause in the Nursing Act (1992).
• The Constitution of South Africa (1996) entrenches labour rights for all citizens.
• Nurse participation in strike action raises ethical considerations despite legal provisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe the perceived values of nurses regarding strike action in South Africa.
• To clarify the ethical dimensions of nursing strikes within the South African context.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive research design was employed.
• Data collected via open-ended questionnaires from post-basic nursing/midwifery students over three years.
• Purposive and convenience sampling used, with descriptive and content analysis of responses.

Main Results:

• 52.7% of participants opposed strike action, while 32.5% supported it as a constitutional right.
• 14.8% held mixed views, and 15.7% expressed confusion about strike legislation.
• The mean age of participants was 48, with most pursuing a Diploma in Community Nursing Science.

Conclusions:

• The study suggests that nurses, particularly those in the sample, tend to oppose strike action.
• The findings highlight a need for further clarification on nursing strike rights and ethics.
• Replication at a national level is recommended to improve external validity and inform policy.