If you were, to sum up, the current world in one word, it would be a strike. From the United States to Hong-Kong, strikes are everywhere. Strikes have been sued by workers to protest the poor working conditions, and various problems that they face in their working as well as daily lives. The prime example that we have is Hong-Kong where strikes and protests have going on for months.

What is a general strike?

A strike is the cessation of the work to force the management to fulfill certain demands. This pressurizes the management to at least conclude. It is a collective power that workers as a whole have against the bosses. Without workers, there can be no work in any kind of business establishment. The general strikes are undertaken by the Unions who are registered under the law, and protected. They can give a call for the general strike.

Strikes in the United States:

Strikes in the US can be undertaken by workers of a company to protest the working conditions as well as rise in the pay. It can happen in a single company, or within an entire industry. The participation of all of the workers is needed to make it a success, and this will disrupt the market. This works in the same way that a work stoppage helps to fulfill the demands.

Concept of general strikes:

Strikes and worker protests have been going for a long time, but the idea of a general strike is new. It can be traced to the writing of the Rosa Luxembourg of 1906. The text was called The Mass Strike. This strike is not an act of one, but as a whole, and unified power. It can be of different forms. You can take the example of Frances nationwide protests, or the Seattle weeklong general strikes, but the purpose is the same. Some demands need to be fulfilled.

2020 US essential workers general strike:

This recent strike reefer to the strike of essential workers at Amazon, Insatcart, Walmart, and whole foods. The protests against the lack of safety precautions, lesser wages, and benefits. The strike was called on May 1, 2020, which correlated with the International Workers Day. This day is celebrated to acknowledge the organized labor. It was not a single strike, but a wave of strikes that happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. The unemployment rate has increased which is higher than the recession of 2008 (CDC). By the end of March 2020, all 50 states in the U.S. had confirmed cases and deaths and had initiated stay-at-home orders.

Conclusion:

Strikes are important tools in the hands of workers. With proper corporation and coordination, it can be used to make the working environment safe, and increase the wages. It is powerful as a whole. Furthermore, strikes can be of many types, it can be across the whole industry or a single unit, but in both cases, the calls are given by the unions.