Strikes and Types of Strikes

Strikes

^Ø   Strike is ―a temporary cessation of work by a group of employees in order to express their grievance or to enforce a demand concerning changes in work conditions‖.

^Ø   Section 2(q) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, defines a strike as ―a cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any industry acting in combination, or a concerted refusal under a common understanding of a number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment‖.

Types of Strikes

^Ø   Go slow - Go slow does not amount to strike but it is a serious case of misconduct.

^Ø   Hunger strike-Some workers may resort to fast on or near the place of work or residence of the employer

^Ø   Lightning or wildeat strike -It is an unofficial strike ie., a strike not sanctioned by the union. Such strikes occur in violation of the no strike pledge in collective bargaining agreements

^Ø   Stay in, sit down, pen down or Tool down strike- In all such cases the workmen after taking their seats, refuse to do work by their combination

^Ø   Symapathetic strike-Cessation of work in the support of the demand workmen belonging to their employer. The management can take disciplinary actions for the absence of workmen.

^Ø   Economic Strike-In this type the members of trade union stop work to enforce their economic demands such as increase in wages, bonus and other benefits.

^Ø   General strike-It means a strike by members of all or most of the unions in region or an industry. It nay be a strike of all or most of the unions in region or an industry.

^Ø   Lock outs-It is declared by the employers to put pressure on their workers.It is an act on the part of the employers to close down the place of work until the workers agree to resume work on the terms and conditions specified by the employers.

^Ø   Lay off-Lay off means failure, refusal or inability of an employer, shortage of power or raw materials or accumulation of the stocks or the breakdown of the machinery or for any other reason not to give employment to a workman.

^Ø   Retrenchment-It means the termination of the service of a workman for any reasons by the employer. It does not include the voluntary retirement of the workman.

^Ø   Gherao-It denotes collective action by the workers which members of the management will be imprisoned by them.

^Ø   Picketing-When workers are dissuaded a certain men at the factory gates it is called as picketing. It is perfectly legal . It is to draw the attention of public.

^Ø   Boycott-The workers may decide to boycott the company by not using its products. It affects marketability of its products.