strike

honggarae 18/01/2022 1067

Definitionofstrike

Strikeisnotaconceptcreatedbymodernpeople.DuringthereignoftheEgyptianpharaohRamsesIIIinthe12thcenturyBC,theworkersoftheroyalcemeterylaunchedastrike.Thisisthefirststrikeintheworldconsideredbyordinaryhistorians.ThisincidenthasadetailedhistoricalrecordonpapyrusandispreservedinTurin,Italy.

Differenttypes

Mostmodernstrikesareorganizedbytradeunionsandtheirmainpurposeistoopposethepoliciesproposedbyemployers.Thestrikeofnon-unionorganizationsmaybebecausetheuniondoesnotagreewiththestrikestrategy,oritmaybebecausetheworkersdonothaveajointorganizationatall.Manycountriesdonotguaranteethelegalrightsofunorganizedstrikes.Therearealsocountriesthatstipulatethatastrikemustbeformallyvotedbytheunionbeforeitcanbecarriedoutlegally;theUnitedKingdomisoneofthem.

Strikeworkersmaygatheroutsidetheworkplacetopersuadeothercolleaguestoparticipateinthestrike,ortrytopreventemployersfromtradingwithcustomers.Astrikeintheretailorserviceindustriesiscalleda"strike."Anotherwaytostrikeisthatworkersstayintheworkplacebutrefusetoworkorrefusetoleave.

Therearealsostrikerswhoprotestwithonlythemostbasicrequirementofcompletingthework.Thismethodiscalled"sabotage"or"workaccordingtoregulations".ItiscalledslowdowninEnglishandgrèveperléeinFrench.Forexample,workersmaystrictlyenforceallsafetyrules,therebyreducingworkefficiency;ortheymayrefusetoworkovertime.Thesestrikemethodsareexpresslyprohibitedbylaborlawsinsomecountries.

Inschools,thecollectiverefusalofstudentstoattendclassesiscalled"strike",andthecollectiverefusalofteacherstoteachiscalled"strike".

Strikeworkersmayallbelongtothesamelabororganization,thesameemployer,andasingleworkunit;itmayalsobeacollectivestrikebyworkersinanentireindustry,cityoreventhecountry,andsomestrikeunionsandstudentsstriketogether.

Therearealsoemployeeswhotakesickleavecollectivelytoexpresstheirprotest.Theso-called"sleeplessstrike"referstoworkerswhocontinuetoworkwithoutsleeping,sothattheirphysicalstrengthisgraduallyreducedandtheyareunabletowork.

Prohibitedstrikes

Somecountriesexpresslyprohibitallemployeesofpublicutilitiesfromparticipatinginstrikes.TheUSRailroadLaborActclearlyrestrictstheoccasionswhereemployeesintheaviationandrailroadindustriescanlegallygoonstrike.TheNationalLaborRelationsActintheUnitedStatesallowsstrikes,butalsoprohibitscertainindustrieswherestrikescancausenationalcrises,suchaspublictransportworkersandcivilservants.

InsomesocialistcountriesledbytheCommunistParty,suchastheformerSovietUnion(1924～1991)orthePeople’sRepublicofChinaafterthedeathofMaoZedong(1975,1978,thecivilrightsintheConstitutionofthePeople’sRepublicofChinaincludethefreedomtostrike),therighttostrikehasnotbeenconfirmedandsupportedbytheConstitution.Forexample,inMexico,althoughstrikesarenotillegal,theyarecloselymonitoredbythegovernment.

strike

Case

OnDecember20,2005,morethan34,000employeesoftheNewYorktransitsystemunionstartedageneralstrikeafterthebreakdownofemploymentcontractnegotiationswiththecitygovernment.MillionsofNewYorkersbravedthebittercoldtowalktowork.OnDecember22,afterbeingthreatenedbytheauthoritiesto"arrestunionleaders,"theleadersoftheNewYorkTransportationWorkersUnionvotedtoendthethree-daytrafficstrike.

Strikedevelopment

Throughoutthe19thcentury(andoftenafter),strikeswereillegalinmostcountries,therebyatleastimplicitlyexpressingcontemptforthecountry.Strikesoftenformpartofamorecommonoutburstofworkingclassdissatisfaction.

ThestrikecausedMarxandEngels'earlyenthusiasticappraisaloftheunion.Engelsarguedin"TheSituationoftheBritishWorkingClass"thatstrikesintheUnitedKingdomoftenfail,buttheyforetellthearrivalof"socialwars."Strikesare"amilitaryschoolforworkers.Theyaretrainedhere,andpreparationsforinvestmentareinevitable."Gointhegreatstruggle"(TheCompleteWorksofMarxandEngels,Vol.2,p.512).In"ThePovertyofPhilosophy,"Marxbelievesthatisolatedconflictsnaturallyevolveinto"realcivilwars",formingtheproletariatas"aself-servingclass."Thesamerevelationappearsinthe"CommunistManifesto."Later,alargeamountofactualworkintheFirstInternational(seeInternationalEntry)involvedmaterialsupportforstrikers(thenumberofstrikersincreasedinthe1860s).ButMarxacknowledgedthatstrikesmayjustbetheroutineactionsofmoreconservativetradeunionsforlimitedpurposes.Heremindedthetradeunionsininternationalorganizations“shouldnotforget:it...isonlyopposingtheresult,notthecauseoftheresult”,meaningthatinthepast,unionmemberswere“restrictedtothese...Theguerrillafighting"issatisfied(SelectedWorksofMarxandEngels,Vol.2,p.203).

Bakuninandhissupporterselaboratedonanotherviewofstrikes,includingtheideaofgeneralstrikes(whichcanbetracedbacktoBenbau’sproposalon"nationalholidays"in1832).In1868,theinternationalapprovedastrikestrategytoboycottthedeclarationofwar,whichmadeMarxveryunhappy.Later,Bakuninformulatedtheprincipleofageneralrevolutionarystrike,whichlaterbecamethecentralsloganofsyndicalism.ThegeneralstrikeisalsoamajorissuefortheSocialDemocraticPartyoftheSecondInternational,althoughonlyasalimitedstrategy,especiallytofightforordefendtheexpansionoftherighttovote.TheexampleofBelgiumin1893wasimitatedbymanyEuropeancountries,althoughthecredibilityofpoliticalstrikeswasunderminedbytheincreasingoppositionofGermantradeunionsandthedefeatofSwedishlaborin1909.InAugust1914,anyremainingillusionsaboutholdingageneralstrikeagainstthewarwereshattered.

Thedeclineofthereformistgeneralstrike(thesituationinEnglandin1926isaproof)isconsistentwiththemajordevelopmentofMarxistanalysis.TheclimaxoftheRussianrevolutionin1905causedthepublicationofLuxembourg'spamphlet"MassStrikes,PoliticalPartiesandTradeUnions".Sheemphasizedthespontaneityofthemovement:"Thevividrhythmoftherevolution,andatthesametimeitsmostpowerfuldrivingwheel."Shearguedthatthisspontaneousactionoverthrewthestereotypesoftradeunions,brokethereformistboundarybetweenpoliticsandeconomics,anddemonstratedtheinherentunityofclassstruggle.

Leninwasalsodeeplyaffectedbytheeventsof1905.Inthe1850s,herespondedtoMarxandEngels'emphasisontheimportanceofstrikesinraisingclassconsciousness.However,astrikeseparatedfrompoliticalorganizationandstrugglecannotoverthrowcapitalistcontrolandstatepower,andevenageneralstrikeisimpossible.Thisrestrictionhasbecome"Whattodo?"Acentralargument."Classpoliticalconsciousnesscanonlybeinstilledintoworkersfromoutside,thatis,itcanonlybeinstilledintoworkersfromoutsideeconomicstruggle..."(TheCompleteWorksofLenin,Chinese2ndEdition,Vol.6,p.76).However,headmittedthatin1905,insomepartsofthecountry,themovementhadevolvedfromamerestriketoanastonishingrevolutionarylaunchwithinafewdays.LikeLuxembourg,hehassinceinsistedthatthereisadialecticalconnectionbetweenmassstrikesandtheincreaseinrevolutionaryconsciousness.

AftertheRussianRevolution,anewquestionwasraised:intheworkers’country,didtheworkers“strikeonthemselves?”Leninarguedin1921,“InthestateoftheproletariatThereasonforthestrikestrugglecanonlybetheexistenceofbureaucraticillsintheproletarianstateandtheexistenceofvariousoldremnantsofcapitalistsystemsinitsinstitutions”(SelectedWorksofLenin,Vol.4,p.585).UnderStalin’srule,althoughstrikeswerenotofficiallyprohibited,theywereactuallysuppressedasviolationsofdiscipline,absenteeism,andeven"counter-revolutionarysabotage."

IntheWest,someearlycommunistpartiesputgreatemphasisontheroleofstrikesinpoliticalstruggles,especiallyinthe"thirdperiod"(theCommunistInternationalstipulatedthenewstageoftheupsurgeoftheEuropeanrevolutionafter1928).However,withtheshifttothe"People'sFront"strategyin1934,thisemphasisweakened,andafter1941,theCommunistPartyquicklyopposedthestrikeinRussia'sparticipatingcountries.Sincetheoutbreakofthewar,Communistunionshaveoftenheldnationalstrikesinmanycountriesasapoliticaldemonstration(similartotheSecondInternationalintheearly20thcentury).Atthesametime,itismainlytheTrotskygroupandothergroupsthatadvocatestrikestopromoteclassstruggle,evenincludingthe"official"Communistleft.