Industrial action in Scotland

Fair pay for hospital dentists in Scotland

We are continuing our campaign for fair pay for hospital dentists.

We are currently in formal dispute with the Scottish Government about resident dentist’s pay.

BMA Resident Doctors’ strike action in Scotland

A statement was issued by BMA Scotland’s Resident Doctors Committee, advising that their members voted in favour of strike action. A 96-hour strike was planned to run from 07:00 on 13 January until 07:00 17 January 2026. Due to a pay and contract reform offer being made by the Scottish Government on 9 January 2026 the BMA has paused this industrial action and therefore these strikes are cancelled. We will update members on this offer in due course.

Although we are united with the BMA in its pay restoration campaign, we do not currently have a mandate for equivalent strike action.

Trade unions are required by law to ballot their members independently. Even though hospital dentists and doctors work on the same contracts, the BDA and BMA will need to conduct separate ballots.

To ensure you are included in any upcoming BDA Scotland ballots or referenda, please submit your information.

 

We cannot ballot members without three specific pieces of information: 

• Current training grade 
• Name of Placement Health Board 
• Location of workplace. 

There is also a short section at the end of this survey to share your views about industrial action. 

We cannot act without a comprehensive steer from our resident members. It is also critical that we get ballot ready should we choose to proceed to a ballot and potential strike action.  

Please direct any queries regarding industrial action in Scotland to [email protected]