industrial actioninˌdustrial ˈaction noun [uncountable] British English 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- In one case the union concerned had balloted its members on several variations of industrial action.
- It is for this reason that I regard the industrial action which swept through schools in the mid-1980s with regret.
- More trade-union sponsored Labour candidates were put forward in the 1929 General Election as unions recognized the failure of industrial action.
- Picketing in various forms has shown itself to be one of the most effective forms of industrial action.
- Talk was of a minor disciplinary measure by management that might lead to industrial action.
- The idea of unions balloting their members before taking industrial action took hold.
- There have been frequent disagreements over the use of industrial action to bolster annual negotiations.
- There was a threat of industrial action against Mercury's shareholders.
THESAURUS► strike
an action such as a strike (=stopping work) taken by workers involved in a disagreement with their employer [countable] a period of time when a group of workers stop working because of a disagreement about pay, working conditions etc: · A teachers’ strike has been announced for next week.· The rail strike has resulted in major delays on roads across the country.
► industrial action [uncountable] British English activities such as strikes, or doing less work than usual, as a way of trying to persuade an employer to improve pay, conditions etc: · Lecturers voted to take industrial action over their workload.· Prison officers have threatened industrial action.
► stoppage [countable] British English, work stoppage American English a short strike, especially one that lasts for one day: · Customs officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.
► go-slow [countable] British English a period of time when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about pay, conditions etc: · The hospital go-slow comes into effect tomorrow.· The union carried out strikes and go-slows in support of a wage claim.
Longman Language Activatorwhen workers are on strike► strike · The offices were closed by a strike that lasted two months.miners'/teachers'/railworkers' etc strike · Since the miners' strike, thirty of the mines in the area have been closed.coal/rail/dock etc strike · The roads were a nightmare as commuters were hit by a rail strike.call a strike (=ask workers to strike) · When union bosses called a strike in protest over low pay, the response was overwhelming.call off a strike (=stop striking) · The administration has officially asked transportation workers to call off their strike.general strike (=when most workers in a country strike) · Following a general strike and calls for his resignation, the President was arrested on 26 March.strike action · Shipbuilders and dockers were solidly in favour of strike action in support of their claim.
► industrial action when a group of workers try to persuade their employer to improve pay or conditions, either by going on strike or by doing less work than they usually do: · Exactly what form the industrial action will take is not yet known.· Most of the workers are against industrial action, but are asking for talks with employers.take industrial action: · A survey of 2,000 federation members had shown that 48% believed police should have the right to take industrial action.
► work-to-rule when workers do only the amount of work they legally have to do and no more, as a protests against something: · Because of their work-to-rule, teachers were no longer taking after-school clubs or supervising lunch hours.
► stoppage British also work stoppage American when a group of workers stop working for a short time until their complaint, protest, or demand is dealt with: · Customs officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.· Railworkers in central Poland also joined the stoppage, cutting the link with the industrial south-west.· The plan is likely to be met with work stoppages and other labor disruptions.
► go-slow British when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about low wages, bad working conditions etc: · The hospital seemed to be treating as many patients as possible before the go-slow came into effect.
WORD SETS► Labour Relations/UnionsAFL-CIO, the, black, verbblackleg, nounbrotherhood, nouncard vote, nounchapel, nounclosed shop, nouncollective bargaining, nounfeather bedding, nounflying picket, nounfree collective bargaining, noungeneral strike, noungo-slow, nounindustrial action, nounindustrial relations, nounindustrial tribunal, nounlabor union, nounlabour relations, nounlocal, nounnon-cooperation, nounnon-union, adjectiveorganize, verbout, adverbpicket, nounpicket, verbrestrictive practices, nounscab, nounshop steward, nounsick-out, nounstrikebreaker, nounstriker, nountrade union, noununion, noununionism, noununionize, verbwalkout, nounwildcat strike, nounwork-to-rule, noun