About the right to strike

On 21 May, the International Court of Justice ruled that the right to strike is indeed protected by an International Labour Organisation (ILO) treaty adopted in 1948.

What does this mean? Article 3 of ILO Convention No. 87 states that trade unions “shall have the right to draw up their own constitutions and by-laws, to elect their representatives freely, to organise their administration and activities, and to formulate their programme of action”.

We know that this is not enough to ensure that freedom of association is effective. In many countries, it is completely flouted, with trade unions either banned or represented by structures that serve the state and employers: from Iran to Russia, from Algeria to China, from Qatar to Eswatini, we are all too familiar with situations of this kind! Even where the Constitution guarantees these freedoms, independent trade union activity is still under threat and under attack; everywhere, anti-union repression is rife in workplaces and the right to strike is constantly under attack.

The International Court of Justice’s ruling will not make the right to strike a reality where it does not exist; nor does it remove the restrictions on the right to strike imposed by many governments to accommodate employers. But it puts a stop to the claims of employers who, at the international level, sought to impose their view that there was no international convention providing for this right, which helped to legitimise all past and … future attacks. It is a foothold for workers, and for their independent organisations—the genuine trade unions—in the struggle pitting our social class against that of the exploiters.

The International Trade Union Network for Solidarity and Struggles is a tool for workers, a tool for independent trade unions: international solidarity is one of our weapons against employers and reactionary governments!