Should we strike?
Taking industrial action like witholding labour in a strike is one of the strongest tools that any workers, not just dental nurses, have. It is also usually a last resort and it used when negotiations fail to produce adequate results. As ADN is not yet a trade union, or officially affiliated with one, we are not able to organise a legal strike. Any dental nurses that went on what is called a, 'wildcat' or 'unofficial' strike could face dismissal by their employer.
We are looking into any and all possibilities for granting dental nurses the right to legally strike in the future. We believe that it can be done and that a better future for DNs in the indusry is possible. To achieve our mutual goals we need to stick together and organise as effectively as possible.
The best thing you can do to support future industrial action for dental nurses is to become a member of ADN. It is free, all you need to do is sign up to this website and be counted. Once our membership and momentum is great enough, we will seek consultation with the relevant industrial bodies on behalf of our members. If our reasonable expectations of change are not met, and we are affiliated with, or are ourselves a trade union, we will hold a ballot of our members to decide whether to strike.
Are we allowed to strike?
All the information you could possibly need on your right to strike in the UK can be found here: https://www.acas.org.uk/strikes-and-industrial-action
We know how hard things are and how easy it is to have a grim outlookk on the future, but we will empower ourselves to make positive change. We will because we must.
All we need is time and patience and we are going to achieve our goals.