Strikes and the Struggle for Democracy

Authors

Angela B. Cornell, Cornell University Law School
Ruth Dukes, University of Glasgow

Abstract

The right to strike is fundamental to the development and maintenance of democratic forms of government. In struggles to construct and defend democratic regimes, strikes, including general strikes, are often an important weapon. In established democracies, the right to strike can aid the spread of democratic decision-making in workplaces and the wider economy, serving indirectly to strengthen participation and confidence in political processes and institutions. And it can underpin systems of collective bargaining that function to narrow income and wealth inequalities, in a manner that is conducive, if not necessary, to the maintenance of democratic government. Wherever the right to strike is restricted, undermined and made more difficult to exercise, so too is the capacity of ordinary citizens decreased to defend, maintain and extend democratic values, practices and institutions.

Recommended Citation

Cornell, Angela B. and Dukes, Ruth (2025) "Strikes and the Struggle for Democracy," Comparative Labor Law & Policy Journal: Vol. 45: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.60082/2819-2567.1037
Available at: https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/cllpj/vol45/iss2/5

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