Social media opposition to the 2022/2023 UK nurse strikes

Abstract

Previous research has established that the success of strikes, and social movements more broadly, depends on their ability to garner support from the public. However, there is scant published research investigating the response of the public to strike action by healthcare workers. In this study, we address this gap through a study of public responses to UK nursing strikes in 2022–2023, using a data set drawn from Twitter of more than 2300 publicly available tweets. We focus on negative tweets, investigating which societal discourses social media users draw on to oppose strike action by nurses. Using a combination of corpus‐based approaches and discourse analysis, we identified five categories of opposition: (i) discourse discrediting nurses; (ii) discourse discrediting strikes by nurses; (iii) discourse on the National Health System; (iv) discourse about the fairness of strikers' demands and (v) discourse about potential harmful impact. Our findings show how social media users operationalise wider societal discourses about the nursing profession (e.g., associations with care, gender, vocation and sacrifice) as well as recent crises such as the Covid‐19 pandemic to justify their opposition. The results also provide valuable insights into misconceptions about nursing, strike action and patient harm, which can inform strategies for public communication.

From plaster casts to picket lines: Public support for industrial action in the National Health Service in England

“…The relationship between public opinion and strike action, particularly in the public sector, is complex and dynamic (Kane & Newman, 2019;Kelloway et al, 2008). Public opinion serves as both a barometer and a driver of the political climate in which strikes occur, and can significantly influence the strategies adopted by both workers and employers (Kalocsányiová et al, 2023). In the context of public sector strikes, the role of public opinion is especially important due to the public's direct stake in the services being disrupted (Kelloway et al, 2008).…”

“…Supportive public opinion can manifest in various ways, from social media campaigns and public protests to direct political lobbying, thus amplifying the workers' cause (Kalocsányiová et al, 2023;Orazani et al, 2021;Vesper & König, 2022). Conversely, if the public perceives the strike as unjustified, disruptive or damaging to the community, this can weaken the workers' bargaining position (Kelloway et al, 2008).…”

“…The framing of issues, the voices amplified and the stories told can paint the strike action in a particular light, either engendering public support or opposition (Naughton, 2022). It is not uncommon for both sides in a dispute to engage in public relations campaigns to win the 'hearts and minds' of the public, recognising the leverage that public opinion can bring to the bargaining table (Kalocsányiová et al, 2023). Moreover, the influence of public opinion varies depending on the political context.…”

“…Due to the highly trained skillset of healthcare providers, it is very difficult to substitute those taking strike action. This compels governments to make a careful balancing act between workers' rights and public health imperatives (Dworkin, 1977;Kalocsányiová et al, 2023;Widgery, 1976). First, the motivations for strikes in the healthcare sector often parallel those in other public sectors: inadequate pay, long working hours, poor working conditions and issues surrounding professional autonomy (Essex, Ahmed, et al, 2023).…”

“…Other research has focused on social media responses to strike action and argues that focusing on public views towards strike action is important for developing a public communications strategy (Kalocsányiová et al, 2023). Building on this research, we examine public support for NHS strikes by using a survey with seven waves conducted in 2022 and 2023, with a total of 3839 respondents.…”