Kally Forrest continues the debate on the nurses’ strike in August/September last year. This article is based on a discussion with Imraan Patel of the National Labour Economic Development Institute (NALEDI), Glenn Adler of the Sociology of Work Unit (SWOP), and Weizmann Hamilton, the South African Municipal Workers Union’s (SAMWU’s) Johannesburg branch secretary, and takes a particular focus on the bargaining processes. The second part of this article explores the implications of the strike and suggests the kinds of policy interventions the progressive labour movement needs to make.