Why do people have the right to strike?

[darktidus]

I'm doing a debate at my college on the topic of people having the right to strike. Naturally I'm on the proposition, that workers always have the right to strike.

However, some help with ideas would be much appreciated. Any input?

[mikelepore]

Thirteenth amendment to the Contitution of the United States. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

[AGITprop]

we have the right to strike because we are not slaves to the capitalists. they cannot stop us becuse we are not their slaves. they are paying fo our labour and if we are discontented with what they offer in return for our labour wecan prottest this.

[darktidus]

Excellent, thanks for the help guys.

I was sort of thinking along the lines of:

The only real way you can express your opinion to an employer and be taken seriously is through a strike.

But, are there any real good historical precedents that show strikes having a very good impact on workers? It'd be great if anyone knew.

[Cryotank Screams]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28, 2007 05:18 pm
The only real way you can express your opinion to an employer and be taken seriously is through a strike.


Wouldn't also the 1st ammendment come into play as well as the 13th?

[Luís Henrique]

More realistically, you can argue that strikes are essential to the proper functioning of a capitalist society. If we had not the right to strike, capitalists wouldn't be pressed to substitute relative for absolute surplus value, and the productivity of labour would become stagnant. That and the widening of the internal markets, that allow for the increased accumulation of capital.

Luís Henrique

[MarxSchmarx]

But, are there any real good historical precedents that show strikes having a very good impact on workers? It'd be great if anyone knew.

A few of the notable ones are (in chronological order):

Chartists convention
1890 Maritime Dispute
Flint Sitdown Strike
Gdansk Shipyard

it's a reflection of the capitalist domination of history that these aren't taught in classes. Just google "Strike History" or some such and you'll come up with a long list.

[Lenin II]

Originally posted by [email protected] 28, 2007 08:49 pm
Thirteenth amendment to the Contitution of the United States. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."
The Constitution is a bourgeoisie piece of paper that manifests in lies and blood. When you use a tool of the system to justify an action, what you're doing is playing into their hands. Is it this piece of paper that gives you human rights? Is it THIS, this arbitrary document signed by reactionaries that mercifully bestows your worth as a human being upon you like a taskmaster giving bread to his grateful slave? Fuck the constitution and all it stands for! We don't need it! There are stronger grounds to right, like say for example, THE FACT THAT WE ARE HUMANS, AND WE EXIST!

[lombas]

Rights...

<_<