I just found out about it today from twitter and tiktok and so far it seems incredibly unorganized. From my brief understanding I guess it’s supposed to be a nationwide strike against paying rent and bills. Some believe this strike is a psyop as one of the organizers is using odd and even coded language that may suggest they’re a conservative/right-wing in general. It also feels like it came out of nowhere, to me for a strike like this to work there must be months and months of planning and setting up mutual aid because without that the strikers will suffer immensely especially those with disabilities.
Anyway I just wanted to know your thoughts and if you’ve even heard about all this.
Edit: here is the website for the strike!
Depending on local laws, it might not be a great idea. There’s no general ‘right to strike’ in most places. Usually there are (thin) legal protections for participating in lawful industrial action. Without those protections, employers may be permitted to enact whatever punishment they like (lost wages, laying off, etc). Sometimes – especially outside lawful industrial action but sometimes within it, too – it’s even possible to be sued for losses suffered by the employer due to the worker’s action.
On the one hand, such anti-trade union laws make it harder to organise. On the other hand, the same laws make effective and organised industrial action a pre-requisite, so there’s a silver lining.
Personally, I think the only way there is going to be anything like a successful general strike in the west (that’s actually pulled off and ends up being effective) is by co-ordinating trade unions. There are some signs of that happening in some places; it’s inevitable once a tipping point of unions begin to grow and take action. It will take time.
Western unions are just starting to wet their feet again. They have to re-learn how to organise and build institutional capacity after four or five decades or more of atrophy. But they’re getting there. Stay fast and be careful comrade(s)!