Down the needle! Should public sector nurses in South Africa have the right to strike?

It is often argued that because the public sector provides essential services, it is intolerable that the citizenry be denied its entitlement because of a domestic dispute between civil servants (such as nurses) and the state. In this contribution an attempt is made to unravel a number of ideological, legislative and ethical issues relating to the right of the public sector nurse to strike. Notwithstanding the merits of opposite contentions, it is argued that public sector nurses should, in fact, have the right to strike. If this right is to be legitimized, however, due consideration should be given to problems relating to nurses' labour organisation and preventative measures to ensure minimal harm to patients in the planning and in the course of strike action.