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School of Management and Labour Studies

Master of Arts in Globalisation and Labour

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Strikes and Protests: What are they, comparatively?

This document is written as a requirement in the partial fulfilment for the award of Master of

Arts Degree in Globalisation and Labour

Lecturer: Dr Srinath Jagannathan

TISS Mumbai

Student: Naaman Kipumbu

M2014GL021

26th

January, 2014

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1.0. Introduction

Industry has lately seen a remarkable and resounding number of strikes and protests from

both the workers and the members of the public. There are a number of reasons that lead

people to take action in many different ways. The two have occurred from ancient days and

writing about them is not a new thing, though I wish to put my personal thought on these two

paradigms. This document will discuss the meaning of these words individually and then a

comparative approach will also be discussed to see how they are connected.

Strikes and protests are seen in almost all situations where there are human beings. Industry

and even religion has not been spared from strikes and protests. They have been differently

recorded at all levels of human habitation; they are present in the informal and formal sectors.

The rich and the poor are entangled in them!

Protests unlike strikes may be done at corporate level, individually, collectively and

otherwise. Strikes on the other hand are more of a collective action. Strikes and protest take

different definitions when they are looked at from the labour point of view or perspective.

In this document, I will try to define, describe features and compare strikes and protests in

general, giving much focus on labour and I will also briefly attach the family in the

discussion just as interludes at certain times, assuredly as an inference base too.

2.0. What is a strike?

In spite of the elaborate machineries that employees and employers and the state have

evolved everywhere to bring about a peaceful settlement of industrial disputes, strikes and

lock outs have not been completely eliminated (Sinha et al 2009). In many instances strikes

look like they are officially adopted methods by employees and employers to resolve their

differences. Accordingly, when employees fail to secure a redressal of their grievances and a

fulfilment of their demands, through peaceful negotiation (collective bargaining), with

employers, withdrawal of their (employees) labour remains as the only option through a

strike. A strike is the strongest weapon in the hands of the employees that may fire or misfire

depending on the weapon handlers (trade union leaders)

With the statements above, a strike can basically be defined as temporal withdrawal of labour

by employees. Sinha et al (2009) defines a strike as a ‘concerted and temporary cessation of

work by workers with a view to furthering or protecting their interest and rights, in general,

and in securing a fulfilment of their specific demands in particular’. McGrath (2011) in his

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book Training for Life and Leadership in Industry defines a strike as ‘temporary stoppage of

work by a group of employees (not necessarily members of a trade union) to express a

grievance, enforce a demand for changes in conditions of employment, obtain recognition, or

resolve a dispute with management’. From the definitions above, it can clearly be seen that a

strike is not permanent in the work environment; it is a temporal withdrawal of labour. This

means that, therefore, when areas of concern are addressed, the strike action is stopped on

one end or when the strike becomes a threat to peace of the community, the organisation or

indeed the country. In that case, the state puts in other measures to stop the escalation of the

strike into other areas of the economy. Strikes are also called industrial disputes

3.0. What are the causes of strike action in the work environment?

Interests and rights the labourers may be to seek to promote and protect may be

multitudinous. For example, they may range from conditions of employment to solidarity for

colleagues within or outside the organisation, from fighting for social security to resisting the

oppressive Multi-National Corporations and from political interests to protection of the

environment. These may be among the purposes of strike action, though primarily it still

remains to bring and pressure upon the employer to commit or desist from committing certain

actions arbitrary that relate conditions of employment.

Causes of strikes are as explained above and there cannot be any other newly found causes of

strike actions. Sinha et al (2009) has indicated that ‘looking for causes strikes means

searching for causes which lead the workers to choose the method of the strike preference to

others, if available. ‘This being the case’ Sinha et al adds, ‘then the only cause of a strike is

that it either no other alternative methods are available, or if available, the workers feel that

the use of the alternatives will not be as be affective as the strike

It must be mentioned that without exception strikes are a very expensive venture to

undertake; there is loss of revenue by the organisation facing this industrial dispute, there is

loss of earning by the employees. An example is the recent strike in the Republic of South

Africa where is estimated that the mine lost over 3.3 million work days were lost and this also

translated into over 6.6 million rand (about $603000) in wages lost by the striking and

protesting workers (City Press 18 September 2013 12:38). Strikes also cause strain and

emotional anguish in both the employee and the family, additionally there is also loss of

income in terms of union contributions from the employees. Sadly, there is loss of

employment and when things turn violent as was the South African case, death and avoidable

innocent and productive labour is lost in cold blood (City Press 18 September 2013 12:38).

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4.0. What role does the family play in these strikes?

The employees are engaged in some form of employment in order to sustain themselves. In

the African and some Asian communities, where extended families are still holding the

families together, the employed family members automatically become ‘breadwinners’ for

the family. This being the case, it may not be wrong to state that the organisation that

employs these people have also indirectly employed the entire families! This therefore,

means that are the income becomes smaller to carter for the large family, coupled with

borrowing from financial institutions, strikes can be started at the slightly misjudgement by

management. If issues of collective bargaining are not well handled, it becomes relative easy

for the employees to revolt. What roles then do the members of the family play?

As it can be seen from the above statement, the family is greatly affected as monthly income

becomes smaller to go round the month. Family members through their negative talk about

the organisations in comparison with other organisations that they may not even information

on may lead to strikes and agitations. Families are the providers of comfort, social solidarity

and some form of social security, and as such, they have an unprecedented approach which is

unpredictable in many instances.

5.0. What is the prevention of strikes?

Strikes can result in loss of productivity, angry customers, financial losses, injury, damage to

property and soured employee relations and loss of income to both the trade unions and the

employees. On more adverse level, loss of employment cannot be overruled. It is because of

these adverse repercussions that strikes need to be prevented at all costs. It is gratifying to

note that most of the strikes occur in situations which are preventable. Strikes are

preventable! According to FSP Business the following points can help in preventing strikes:

i. Be proactive in addressing disputes and grievances

Developing an agreed good communication policy and procedures; this helps the employees

in approaching management and engage them on issues before certain extreme actions are

taken, like taking strike action.

ii. Speed, Skill and Scale

As soon as employees raise certain issues, they must be attended to with caution but with

speed, skill and of measurable scale. This gives confidence to the employees especially when

their plights are attended to in the shortest possible time. It may not necessarily mean the

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results should be positive towards the employees, but just that attempt, speaks volumes as it

motivates the employees as their management is considered a caring one.

Creation of an environment that allows for compromise from both management and the

labourers/employees, ensuring that everyone's point of view is heard and understood and

explained upon being considered.

iii. Open door policy:

Trade unions are the workers representatives and they have a great following drawn from the

workers/employees and their families as they are indirectly employed as well. Having an

open door policy with workers’ representatives to discuss issues of concern before resorting

to strike action is healthy in any organisation. It is through such fora that many other matters

can be addressed and sorted out and a permanent approach put in place. This policy approach

establishes a relationship of trust between management and the labourers/employees.

It is worth mentioning that management’s willingness in trying to address the workers

concerns leads to a very harmonious work environment full of trust and dialogue in sorting

out issues instead of resorting to strike action. Once these are implemented, the organisation

gets immunity off strike action!

6.0. What are the consequences of strikes?

In many countries, strike action is still illegal. According to BIS1 (2010), ‘employees who

take industrial action will know that there may be damaging financial consequences for them,

since they are unlikely to receive any pay if they withdraw their labour. They should also be

aware that they are putting their jobs at risk.

An employer may take various measures, up to and including dismissal, against any

employee who takes industrial action. An employee who is dismissed by his employer while

taking industrial action may lose his right to claim unfair dismissal.’ Dismissed employees

lose income which is not only meant for themselves but also for the entire extended families.

In as much as withdrawal of labour may seem to be based on personal conviction of being

exploited, it is done collectively in many cases. This gives strength to the workers by

standing together…united we stand divided we fall. During strikes, organisations lose

significant amounts of money in business, workers and trade unions also lose money in terms

of salaries and membership subscriptions. This is against the bigger loss of customers’ trust

1 BIS Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Industrial Action and Law

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and possible isolation. The way forward is to look at ways and means of preventing these

strikes mainly through dialogue, good communication policy and developing an open door

policy which is ALL embracing and being approachable. What is the way forward?

7.0. What is a protest?

The Black Law’s dictionary defines a protest as ‘a formal declaration made by a person

interested or concerned in some act about to be done, or already performed, and in relation

thereto, whereby he expresses his dissent or disapproval, or affirms the act to be done

against his will or convictions, the object being generally to save some right which would be

lost to him if his implied assent could be made out, or to exonerate himself from some

responsibility which would attach to him unless he expressly negatived his assent to or

voluntary participation in the act.’ Additionally, a protest can basically be defined as when

disagreement is displayed to show unhappiness for something that may not be pleasant, for

example, a new law is being passed, but it is not liked, you protest. Another example is the

planned trip of Prime Minister Modi to the United Kingdom in February, 2015, he will face

protests from the Scottish trade unions over the ‘AUCTION’ of India and the Bhopal

unresolved matters. This is a protest!

Unlike strikes, a protest can be done individually as the definition is more in a singular

perspective. ‘Protests have taken places mainly on a broader perspective like district, state

and at national levels. In the recent past, North Africa has seen the worst protests that even

led to ousting President of Libya and Egypt Muammar Gaddafi and Hosni Mubarak

respectively. These were strikes that were violent as they last. In Libya, the country has not

been stable since. It is divided and a surge of a civil war.

Revolution is a big change, for example, trying to change the government; as stated above,

the Muslim Brotherhood succeeded in Egypt when they were demanding democracy in the

country, that was a revolution, though a counter revolution worked against them when their

President was ousted arrested and replaced in an election. He still remains in prison up this

present day.

I have taken particular interest in the many protests Egypt has had in the recent times.

Currently (today 25/01/2015) Egypt has protests in the famous Tahrir Square with protesters

protesting against the dropping of all charges against the former head of state His Excellence

Honsi Mubarak. In 2011, during protests that led to his (Mubarak) ousting the protesters were

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camped in the Tahrir square for days, weeks and months. Food supplies and medical facilities

were provided in the square. The Muslim Brotherhood organised these protests so well that

the protester never lacked the basic social enmities; this encouraged the protests to continue

until the President was finally overthrown by the military. Well-coordinated mass protests are

able to draw results on a larger scale just as strikes also get results on organisational level.

8.0. What are the causes of protests?

Protests happen always in different countries. Protests, unlike strikes which are

labourer/worker based cut across a broader and expansive cross section of life. Protest as they

are in different countries at different levels also, cannot be the same. Unless they are based on

solidarity, like environmental concerns or wild life protection etc. it is expected that these

protests varied. South Africa, Ukraine, France, India and Zambia are not expected to have

protests based on the same reasons, unless as it is stated above, they are based on solidarity.

Where a strike may focus on improvement of conditions of employment, a protest may focus

on fulfilment of certain differentiated things. There can be protest against failure to provide

security, escalating rate of rape, unemployment or report abuse of workers by the employer,

especially women.

Protests can also be on the much larger scale where nations protest against each other. This

has not been my area of interest in this document. I will cover it in the next document as

things keep going well with me at Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

9.0. What is the prevention of protests?

It must be mentioned that protests are not easy to prevent. The reasons may be many, but one

of the most important is that they are normally a reaction to some stimuli. For as long as there

is not stimulus, it is expected that protests are inhibited.

Normally, protests are against the state machinations. Therefore, it is the state that has the key

to locking out these protests. As Offe (1991) records, ‘Post-communist transitions are ‘a

Pandora’s Box full of paradoxes, in the face of which every ‘theory’ or, for that matter,

rational strategy of the transition must fail.” This is an indication that protests are not easy to

handle.

National legislations, international Bill of Rights, Human Rights all have issues that need to

be understood regarding protests.

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10.0. What are the consequences of protests?

Protests have immense consequences. They range from property distraction, economical

losses and when the reach their last, death is recorded not in small numbers, but life is lost in

great numbers. Egypt and Ukraine are examples of fresh examples among the many other

areas. The way forward for protest prevention is running open institutions that are open to

criticism, transparent to information access and a society must be happy. Is this achievable?

Is it possible to have all the citizens of a particular country happy with ALL that the leaders

do, when their interests are different? A critical look at the India’s constitution, the preamble

states in part…’We the people of India’, but is it holistically embracing? I may not be very

competent to debate this matter, and I leave it to others do that work for me.

11.0. Strikes and protests: A comparative analysis

Both strikes and protests are a form of disruption of continuous processes in the in

organisation and the governance system of particular country. They are both counter

economic advancement in the negative perspective, but they are needed to make the leaders

wake up and do their work in conformity to the requirements of the governed. Marina

Ottaway, a Senior Associate, for Carnegie Endowment for International Peace writes in her

journal on Iraq that ‘Without Consensus, Democracy Is Not the Answer.’ This means,

therefore, that democracy in this perspective is not a matter of the majority but based on

consensus.

12.0. Conclusion

In as much as strikes and protests are concerned, employees and other members of the

communities and countries do not just resort to taking these seemingly infamous actions.

There are things or issues that invoke them to go in the certain direction. It takes ‘two to

tangle’ as the old English adage says; there is ALWAYS a pushing and pulling in both the

actions. Where there are not immediate and swift actions by the managers at both levels, and

if left unchecked and unattended to, they lead to unprecedented great measure of economic

damage. The damage that is done is not easy to mend, and it is at great cost that the post

effects are corrected. Both the protesters and the opposing factions must make it a point that

matters are EXHAUSTIVELY resolved at all levels where either strikes or protests are

predicted or have the potential to occur.

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13.0. References

1. Claus Offe 1991 Preventing Protests Divide and Pacify as Political Strategy

2. Marina Ottaway, Carnegie Endowment, 2005. Policy Brief

3. McGrath S J, 2011: Training for Life and Leadership in Industry

4. Sinha P R, Indhu Bala Sinha and Seema Priyadarshini Shekar, 2009: Industrial

Relations, Trade Unions and Labour Legislation

5. Journal BIS 2010 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Industrial Action

and Law

6. New Dawn Reports Work Stoppage at Dalny Mine, Zimbabwe. Toronto, Ontario,

January 16, 2013, New Dawn Mining Corp. (TSX: ND)