Comparison of recent strike activity in UK

Introduction

A strike is an activity used by trade unions and other labour associations to get their demands accepted. Usually, it involves quitting of work by a group of workers for the purpose of bringing the pressure on their employer so that their demands get accepted. (Strike activity takes place when there is an inequality in society or when people demands do not meet. People stop their services and start protesting to pressurize the government. Reasons for strike can range from asking, for higher wages, to change the government policies which are not in favour of the citizens. An obligation on trade unions to select their members in advance of industrial action first introduce into UK law in 1984 (Trade Union Act 1984, Part II). (The Right to Strike under UK Law: Something More Than a Slogan? (n.d.). Retrieved from ww.oxfordjournals.org).These trade unions take strike actions if things are going against the right of public sector worker. This industrial action includes protest and strike as well for their rights. Recent strike activity has increased in UK due to various reasons such as pension issues, increase in the unemployment rate and, austerity measures to cut the capital spending; are real motivation for people to go for a strike. Other than these factors zero interest rate large public debt is boarding UK economy towards deflation.

Discussion

Past trend of strike activity in UK

The past trend of UK strike activity can witness from the winter of 1978-79. During which the phrase "Winter of Discontent" was very popular in the United Kingdom; in this era strike activity was common by trade unions. The essential reason behind this strike action was to increase the pay of workers, because "during 1970's, when UK faced by inflation", the UK government at that time came up with pay freeze as a solution to control inflation. In 1980s, Conservative laws shifted the previous trend of industrial action which was giving union legal immunity during the strike with the present conditions. Under which strike action will only be considered legal. If, labour unions are successful in membership ballots, this change supported employer as well. Because, it gave the employer a right to take preventive actions against strike and ask for the damages caused due to the strike action. Since 1980's, this change became the major factor in the declining trend of strike activity. After that perception, about strike action changed and it became the unnecessary activity rather than making any impact on businesses. Because, in many high-profile conflicts employers had the power to challenge the ballots at courts that, every union member was not consult. It, skewed industrial action circle. Later consequences were change in strategies at both levels. Employers and trade unions came up with new ideas by focusing on the courts. In 2008 to 2009 power to defend shifted from employers to the union and large numbers of cases were union back. Many people who were caring about the union movement challenged that legal ...