Meaning, Definition and Essential Ingredients of the Strike

1) Introduction 

   
               The strike is a weapon in the armory of the working class to fight collectively and to pressurize the employer. It is a weapon which is made use of by the labor class to safeguard their interests both economic and cultural.

2) Meaning of Strike 

     

               Strike means the stoppage of work by a body of workmen acting in concert with a view to bring pressure upon the employer to concede to their demands during an Industrial Dispute. In other words, The strike is a cessation of work or refusal to work by employees acting together in connection with a trade dispute to secure better terms and conditions of employment for themselves or/and other workers.

3) Definition of Strike 

        Section 2(q) of the Industrial Dispute Act 1947 defines“Strike” - Strike means a cessation of work by a body of persons employed in any industry acting in combination, or a concerted refusal, or a refusal, under a common understanding of any number of persons who are or have been so employed to continue to work or to accept employment.       

4) Essentials of Strike 

According to the above definition, the essential ingredients of a strike are as follows:

 (1) Industry 

 (2) Cessation of work or refusal to do work in an industry by the workmen acting in a body or combination. 

 (3) The industry must be an Industry within the meaning of section 2(J) of the industrial dispute act 1947. 

 (4) Concerted refusal 5) The strike must relate to employment, non-employment or terms of employment or with the conditions of labor of the workmen.

          According to Ludwig Teller, the word strike in the broad significance has a reference to a dispute between an employer and his worker in the course of which there is a concerted suspension of work. He describes 4 essential ingredients of the strike in the modern times; which are as follows

 (1) An established relationship between the Strikers and the person/persons against whom the strike is called;

(2) The constituting of that relationship as one of the employer and the employee.

(3) The exitance of a dispute between the parties and utilization by labor of the weapon of concerted her refusal to continue to work as the method of persuading or coercing compliance with the workers' demand;

(4) The contention advanced by the workers that although the work cases, the employment relationship is deemed to continue albeit in the state of belligerent suspension.

5) See... Classification of Strikes

6) See... Distinction between Layoff and Strike

7) See... Distinction between Strike and Lock-out

See Also... 

Advocate and strike.Can Advocates go on Strike?