Essay on "Women Strike"

Essay 4 pages (1075 words) Sources: 3 Style: APA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

The current push by the conservative party, including its leader David Cameron, have actually been pushing for anti-striking legislation in recent months, a move that would significantly limit the bargaining power of workers and curtail many of their rights in a direct manner (Zirin, 2012). It would also indirectly curtail many other basic rights currently assumed to be natural and inherent to workers in a free society, according to some, and could lead to substantial problems for society at large in the reduction of human rights and increasing pressure on those in the middle class (Zirin, 2012).

This legislation would not only make it for workers in general to strike, but it would make it far more difficult for any specific faction or demographic group -- say, women -- within a labor union or at a place of employment to have their voice heard. As even the most permissive proposed legislation would only allow strikes and other similar industrial actions would require unions to obtain majority votes from all members on the union rolls, this would make it next to impossible for minority demographics to call for any meaningful action (Zirin, 2012). Workers at large will be placed at an extreme disadvantage if any such legislation passes, but women will be placed at a bigger disadvantage than most.

Current Legal Consideration

In order for any worker to take meaningful official action against an employer, they must provide evidence that some breach of contract has occurred or is being threatened -- such as the pension cuts and income changes being debated that caused the recent strike and that threaten to cause more (Directgov, 2012; Ambrogi, 2011; Zirin, 2012). All other avenues of redressing such breaches, including internal negotiations, mediation, and other methods should generally be exhausted before industrial actions are considered at all, meaning that only with extreme need and irreconcilable differences should such actions be undertaken in order to be in compliance with general legal thinking (Directgov, 2012). While there are no special legal considerations for women, the degree to which female workers can be thought of dismissively -- something that is lessening but that is still apparent in many workplaces and amongst some policy makers -- means that they should take even greater care to exhaust other options and build legitimacy before instigating, encouraging, or taking part in industrial actions in which gender plays any sort of defining role.

Conclusion

Women in the workforce are confronted with special issues and potential limitations. Armed with knowledge about the law and its implications, women will be able to make more effective and protected decisions when it comes industrial actions and strikes.

References

Ambrogi, S. (2011). Striking UK workers challenge coalition. Accessed 7 March 2012. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/30/us-britain-strikes-idUSTRE7AT0UJ20111130

Directgov. (2012). Breach of contract. Accessed 7 March 2012. http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/EmploymentContractsAndConditions/DG_10027521

Zirin, D. (2012). UK Labor Leader Threatens Strikes During the London Olympics. Accessed 7 March 2012. http://www.thenation.com/blog/166507/uk-labor-leader-threatens-strikes-during-london-olympics READ MORE

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