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Should employees be allowed to strike
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The issue of the strike has been a controversial subject over the years. Many consider that generally, strikes get out of the hands of workers, becoming violent, losing their true purpose. But a general strike is one of the instruments currently available to the public that serves to change the direction of policies, alter social equilibrium, remove consciences and unite citizens in the expression of discontent. The general strike is the most visible way that society has to protest, it is the way that citizens have to make themselves visible and demonstrate their degree of disagreement with the laws that are being approved. In general, for a strike to be legal, it must comply with the requirements set by law, it must be temporary and carried out by the majority of workers seeking to defend common interests. Being a right of employees, in no case these may be dismissed or sanctioned by the company, however workers will not be entitled to any benefits salary during the time …show more content…
With the right to strike, workers can avoid complete dependence on the employer. By having the right to strike, a better balance can be achieved between the power of workers and companies. Without the right to strike, the number of governments prohibiting industrial action would increase more and more, punishing people who dare to strike. The majority of strikes are for wages and to improve working conditions. Without the threat of a strike, companies will be able to increase their profits, while at the same time worsening working conditions. The consequences of the legal strike are not limited to the scope of the legal-labor relationship between the parties, but they affect the Social Security relationship, as well as being able to result in collective relations between the conveners and other collective subjects and entrepreneurs and business associations affected by the
The strike affected much of the country, and it had great influence on public opinion on the rights of workers. It showed how the roles of management and the roles of government handled this situation. The Pullman Strike of 1894 and its aftermath had a huge effect on the course of the labor movement in the United States. The use of federal troops and the labor injunction sent a message to U.S. workers that would not change until the new deal of the 1930s. George Pullman was no longer look at as the great enlightened employer who took care of his workers, but a greedy intolerant man. After the strike he was worried that people would rob him so when he was buried he had it lined in concrete so no one could. The Pullman strike ultimately was unsuccessful at the time. Workers were sent to jail and many couldn’t find any jobs after. Although, it was successful in several ways. The federal government was involved for the first time in history because of a strike, and because they all took a stand for their human rights it impacted the future and how workers are treated
The 1919 steel strike was an attempt to organize the United States steel industry after World War One. The strike lasted about five months, and was unsuccessful. It began on September 21, 1919, and collapsed on January 8, 1920. It was started by the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, or the AA. The AA had formed in 1876. It was a union of iron and steel workers which was very committed to creating unionism, but advancements in technology had decreased the amount of skilled workers in the industries.
The Pullman Strike of 1894 was the first national strike in American history and it came about during a period of unrest with labor unions and controversy regarding the role of government in business.5 The strike officially started when employees organized and went to their supervisors to ask for a lowered rent and were refused.5 The strike had many different causes. For example, workers wanted higher wages and fewer working hours, but the companies would not give it to them; and the workers wanted better, more affordable living quarters, but the companies would not offer that to them either. These different causes created an interesting and controversial end to the Pullman strike. Because of this, questions were raised about the strike that are still important today. Was striking a proper means of getting what the workers wanted? Were there better means of petitioning their grievances? Was government intervention constitutional? All these questions were raised by the Pullman Strike.
... (Piven & Cloward, 18) Workers protest by striking against their employer, it is easier for employees to protest because they are all located and working together under one roof and are fighting for one thing, and that one thing is related to the workplace. While it is easier for employees to protest, it is not that easy for lower class employees to protest because they have little ability to protect themselves against their institutional managers. When the lower class workers have an informal organizational protest the government is eventually stepping in to disarm the protestors and make efforts to conciliate, “…mobs of unemployed were granted relief in the 1930s…” (Piven & Cloward, 29) The protests cause disruption and sometimes that disruption can make a change but when people are protesting blindly they are more prone to social injustice then making a change.
against their employers, employees were able to go on strike and prove a point. Some
Unions have an extensive history of standing up for workers. They have advocated rights of steelworkers, coal miners, clothing factory employees, teachers, health care workers, and many others. The labor movement is based on the idea that organized workers as a group have more power than individuals would have on their own. The key purpose of any union is to negotiate contracts, making sure workers are respected and fairly compensated for their work. “In theory” unions are democratic organizations, resulting in varying inner authority. Workers look for security within a job a...
Beginning in the late 1700’s and growing rapidly even today, labor unions form the backbone for the American workforce and continue to fight for the common interests of workers around the country. As we look at the history of these unions, we see powerful individuals such as Terrence Powderly, Samuel Gompers, and Eugene Debs rise up as leaders in a newfound movement that protected the rights of the common worker and ensured better wages, more reasonable hours, and safer working conditions for those people (History). The rise of these labor unions also warranted new legislation that would protect against child labor in factories and give health benefits to workers who were either retired or injured, but everyone was not on board with the idea of foundations working to protect the interests of the common worker. Conflict with their industries lead to many strikes across the country in the coal, steel, and railroad industries, and several of these would ultimately end up leading to bloodshed. However, the existence of labor unions in the United States and their influence on their respective industries still resonates today, and many of our modern ideals that we have today carry over from what these labor unions fought for during through the Industrial Revolution.
To conclude this analysis on the basis of the labor’s extensive history, Sloane & Witney (2010) propose, “it is entirely possible that labor’s remarkable staying power has been because of the simple fact that to many workers, from the nineteenth century to the present, there really has been no acceptable substitute for collective bargaining as a means of maintaining and improving employment conditions” (p.80). In the end, it is important to anticipate unions and employers presently work together to find solutions that will enhance collective bargaining strategies and practices to serve the interest of both parties.
In addition to these street demonstrations, there were massive waves of workers’ strikes in the mines and steel mills. At first, the government tried to threaten the protesters; the Committee of National Defense announced preparations for a national state of emergency. By the determination of the workers, the Communist realized that talks with the unofficial trade union were unavoidable. The actions of the workers’ forced the Communist regime to begin talking about the trade union movement called Solidarity.... ... middle of paper ... ...(1989 Twenty Years
Salaries has been regarded as the main reason for the strike. But there are still some of other concerns in the cause of strike. Such as large classes, lack of administration of the students’ behaviors, union rights, benefit and job security, and the evaluation of performance. All the factors were reasonable to result a strike.
My first reason supporting the motion that workers should be allowed to strike is in order to bring to the fore poor safety conditions. For instance, in the nuclear power industry, any breaches of safety can have tragic consequences. If the employees are exposed to nuclear material, this could lead to serious illnesses such as cancer, leukaemia and radiation sickness. Radioactive material could also affect residents of the surrounding area, as in the case of the Chernobyl disaster. In the light of poor safety conditions, workers striking can be justified by the fact that the government and public would be informed.
History has never been my strongest subject but I’ve noticed that throughout all my years of being taught it that one aspect seemed to continuously draw my attention. Anything related to strikes interests me because there’s something so empowering to learn about how people come together to form unions to fight for better conditions. With the world constantly changing, strikes don’t just start and stop. After a certain amount of time, they will start again in order to keep up with the changes. I chose to write my paper on the Brazilian truckers’ strike because of the fascination I have with the different methods people have used to make their voices heard. I also thought it would be an issue I could follow throughout this course as the
Collective Bargaining can act as an introduction to civil rights in the respective industry, but that can only happen if management is conducted by rules and regulations and not by arbitrary decision making processes. It defines and restricts the traditional authority exercised by management by the establishment of rules. Collective Bargaining has a number of objectives that are geared towards work-life improvement. The first objective of collective bargaining is workers’ participation, in the organizational decision-making. Collective bargaining gives the worker an opportunity to participate in some areas of company direction, such as the formation of rules and regulations.
Industrial Dispute are for the most part thought to be negative to both managers and workers. The debate can impel labourers to strike or generally stop working until the requested conditions are met. Labourers may likewise picket outside the business trying to empower clients from supporting the business. Such action puts a strain on the business and forestalls both the specialists and bosses from profiting. In the United States, many strikes are driven by labourers’ unions who advocate reasonable treatment and working conditions for their individuals.
The laws and regulations surrounding Industrial Relations since the 1900’s have, at each reform, placed tighter constraints on the amount of power unions are able to exert. The reforms have also radically increased managerial prerogative, through an increased use of individual bargaining, contracts and restrictions imposed on unions (Bray and Waring, 2006). Bray and W...