If a dispute cannot be solved through negotiation with their employer, employees may take industrial action. This is action taken by workers to put pressure on the employer.
Type of action Official Strike Explanation
Employees refuse to work. The trade union must hold a secret ballot and give at least one week's notice to the employer to make it an official strike.
Unofficial Strike Work To Rule Go-Slow Token Stoppage Overtime Ban
A strike that is not supported by the trade union. No notice is given and workers do not receive strike pay.
Employees do only what is in their job description and refuse anything outside of that.
Employees still come to work but carry out their duties at a much slower pace.
Employees stop work for a short period, for example four hours, to disrupt the day.
Employees refuse to do any overtime hours for the employer during busy periods. This would be very effective for workers in a toyshop at Christmas time if they were in a dispute with their employer.
EXAM CORNERINTRO ACTIVITY 2022 Q16 (a) (iii)
If employer/employee relations breakdown, industrial action may be taken by employees. Explain two types of industrial action that employees may take.
1. Official Strike: Employees refuse to work, their trade union must hold a secret ballot and give at least one week's notice to the employer for the strike.
2. Work to rule: Where workers do only the tasks in their job description and refuse to do any other work outside of this. Make sure to state it as an ‘official strike’ and not just a ‘strike’. The verb is
TOP TIP
“explain” so you would need to add a description like in the point above to score full marks.
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STRAND 2 CHAPTER 17: Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities