ABSTRACT
The strike is the ultimate weapon that an employee is able to wield in an attempt to exert any influence or bargaining power vis-a-vis their employer. Strike activity is not a new phenomenon; indeed its history parallels the development of industrialised societies. Its usage, whilst representing a last resort, can offer the supreme sanction against the erosion of workers’ rights, conditions of employment and even the loss of employment itself. Strikes are not a culturally specific phenomenon. They exist and have existed in all industrialised societies. Workers in countries such as France, Germany, the United States of America, Canada, Spain, have all, at some stage or another, participated in strike action. The basic contention being made in Strikes in Politicisation is that the strike can act as an agency of politicisation. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
