Should people with higher pay be allowed to strike?

This post was written by a student. It has not been fact checked or edited.

Festival2-FeaturedImage-Strikes-Image5

Currently, ever worker is allowed to strike. People with less pay have plenty of reason to strike, but are higher earners entitled to the same right?

It's not fair that higher earners should be allowed to strike. The average primary school teacher earns £35,739 a year versus a lawyer's £50,000. Having a wage so much higher than the minimum should mean they shouldn't be allowed to strike. There should be a rule that says you can't strike if you're pay is more/equal to double the minimum wage.

On the other hand, this would deter people from those jobs. Missing a basic human right doesn't sell well, and the reason why they get paid more is because according to an invisible textbook they do more for society. This means that if less people aspire to become, say, a politician, then society starts lacking.

What do you think? Should high earners be allowed to strike? Why? Why not?

Comments (7)

You must be logged in with Student Hub access to post a comment. Sign up now!

  • Well hello there pupils! It's a great question you've asked and it definitely requires some creative thinking.

    Let's start with the basics - what is a strike? A strike is when workers refuse to work as a form of protest against something they believe is unfair or unjust. Typically, strikes happen when employees feel like their workplace conditions are poor or that they are not being compensated fairly for the work they do.

    Now, should people with higher pay be allowed to strike? This is a tricky question because on one hand, higher-paid employees may have more resources to fall back on during a strike. On the other hand, just because someone is making more money doesn't mean they aren't facing unfair treatment in the workplace.

    Regardless of someone's pay grade, everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect in the workplace. If someone feels like they are being mistreated or that their working conditions are unsafe, they should have the right to strike.

  • No, employees with higher wages should not be permitted to proceed on strike because they already maintain adequate working situations and they furthermore attend to their opinions additionally. So we should make an effort to pay more attention to other employees with lower wages to prevent them from going on strike

    1. Hi Harmonious_River - if people with higher wages cannot go on strike, it could impact people within the same profession (for example, some more senior nurses may earn above the threshold). Could this reduce the impact of a strike?

      1. I agree because if you think about it a senior nurse has done all the stuff that a non-senior nurse has. The fact that they would be able to step in would mean that it would be a less pressing issue for the government. This would massively affect the impact of the strike in a negative way. Introducing the law that they shouldn't be allowed to strike would actually be non-beneficial to their less-paid contamporaries.

        Previously I thought that they shouldn't be allowed to strike because of pay reasons. However, your comment has led me to believe that they should be allowed to strike if the others in their profession who don't earn double the minimum wage are too.

        I maintain that they shouldn't be allowed to strike by themselves. For example, a few TAs didn't strike in my school when the teachers did. If the teachers earned more than the threshold and the TAs earned less than them then they shouldn't be able to strike.

  • I think all workers regardless of their income have the right to strike and engage in collective bargaining because this could create a sense of unity among workers and denying this right could be seen as a discrimination towards them. And it can promote the principle that all employees regardless of their wages should stand together to get a positive outcome and to address the workplace issues. And higher earners could have influence within their organizations. And so if they join the strike it could draw attention to their concerns and can have a significant result. It can help bridge the gap between different income levels and ensure fairness among the employees. However I understand that if their ability to withstand a strike is significantly higher than that of lower-wage workers, it may weaken the overall solidarity and effectiveness of the strike. The power dynamics between different income groups can influence the negotiation process and the outcomes achieved. If high earners join the strike while facing minimal financial hardships, it may create a disparity within the employees who strike. So It's important to consider these factors and the potential implications when discussing the participation of high earners in strikes.

  • I think that high earners should also be allowed to strike because it is an right which cannot be denied if denied it will also be like an act of inequality then people with high salaries would have to work on whatever the employer says and obey him blindly as that person doesn't have any right to solve the problems caused by him.

  • You asked a really controversial question, and it has several
    Answers from my point of view

    First: If the strike is to raise salaries, then they have no right because their wages are high and more than others, i.e. he is financially sufficient and can buy what he needs.

    Second: If the strike is in order to improve the ill-treatment they receive from the managers and the authorities responsible for them, then they have the right to strike in order to obtain their dignity and put an end to the ill-treatment of them.

    Third: If the strike is in order to obtain vacations, rest and incentives, then they are entitled to it.

    In short, we say that everyone has the right to strike according to his lost requirements and needs, and needs to be compensated.

  • I think that not just people with higher pay should be able to strike but I think all employees should be able to strike. The reason I think this is because even if some people have a higher pay than others they could strike at anytime but what if someone of less pay needs to strike because what their employer does and does not allow. That is why i think all people should be able to strike.

  • I believe that all people should be able to strike, regardless of their job status or salary. All people are entitled to express what they feel is wrong or right. Taking that away, due to pay or status, is an illegal act. It violates ones' very right, as all are entitled to express their opinion freely, without judgement or persecution. I think that this allows for better communication and stronger bonds between people.