Subjects:

Employment Law

Contents:

Table of cases

Abbreviations

Introduction

Strikes and the Common Law

Industrial action and the payment of wages

Industrial action and unfair dismissal

Unemployment benefit: the trade dispute disqualification

Industrial action and social welfare

The social welfare tribunal in Ireland

Conclusion

Appendix
1. A note on litigation arising out of the ambulance workers' dispute 1989-90

Appendix
2. Poor law guardians and the General Strike

Bibliography

Index

The right to strike in Britain is one of the most important, albeit neglected, issues of modern labour law. It is also one of the most controversial, particularly since the dismissal of 5,500 workers at Wapping, which led not only to calls for law reform (and with it a greater degree of positive state intervention in industrial relations) but also to condemnation of the British government by the ILO. The Right to Strike concentrates on the hitherto neglected issue of the liability of union members and their families. It examines the effect of strikes and other industrial action on the contract of employment, the question of the payment of wages to those engaged in industrial action, and the social security implications of unemployment caused by trade disputes. The study also examines the position of striking workers under international law (focusing on the ILO and European Social Charter) and concludes by offering proposals for law reform.;This book is intended for students and scholars of labour law and industrial relations. Labour lawyers, trade unionists, and journalists.