Strike means to stop works or working. It is a collective way of protest or of voicing demands. There are two kinds of strikes: Industrial strikes and political strikes. Strikes are organized and observed all over the world by the workers, in-service-men, students and political parties. They press for demands by observing strikes.
Strikes are part of trade Unionism. There are workers unions in all industrial units and commercial organizations. Workers and employees can form associations in all services and departments except Police and Army. Industrial strikes are very common in the countries of the Third World. The wage earners, the clerks, the transporters, the postmen, the dock-workers often go on strike if their demands are not accepted. It is kind of collective bargaining and unique way of exerting pressure on the employers.
In our country even respective persons engaged in People’s jobs such as teachers, doctors and nurses also go on strikes. Doctor’s strike causes great inconvenience for the sick and the patients. It is rather inhuman to neglect such an essential duty. Teachers’ strikes set a bad example for the students. Unfortunately, education is already the most neglected subject. The standard is falling day by day. Strike by the teachers or the students lead to the closing down of the institutions. The schedules of the examination are disturbed if teachers threaten to strike. Anyway, it is not a respectable way of protest in the noblest profession. [the_ad id=”17141″]
Strikes by the transporters and the sweepers dislocate whole social life. Bus and truck strikes put the passengers, particularly the ladies, children and the sick in great trouble. It is rather inhuman to cause sufferings to others. Sweepers’ strike plunges the whole city into a dustbin and stinking place. Its ugliest and disquieting aspect is that transport and sweeping are in the hands of regional groups from frontier or the Punjab. It is very harmful for the people well as the country.
Among the Government servants clerks, postmen and Part Trust workers go on strike. Sometimes they observe token or pendown strike (in-services). Strikes have become part of mass mentality. They sometimes paralyze the whole system. No body thinks about being their good or bad, right or wrong. It also develops group mentality among the workers.
Political strikes are also common in our country. These strikes are generally province or country wise. The call for such strikes is given by political parties, by rulers or the oppositions. The party may give the call in sympathy to Muslim cause or against the government. Some times political strikes result in great loss of human life and public property. The call by the PNA in after 1976 Elections was countrywide. People also courted imprisonment. The call for Kashmiri cause is another example.
Some followers of Gandhian philosophy go on hunger strikes. Strikes may be constructive or destructive according to their purpose and results. They result in loss of working hours and unpleasant consequences. Negotiations are always better than confrontation. If the strikers fail in achieving the desired objectives, they breed ill feelings. The strikers have to eat an humble pie.
