Strikes and the Public: A Consensus?

Abstract

Strikes are constantly in the news. These, and wage negotiations, provide the public with an image of what industrial relations is all about. While the vast majority of the public are never directly involved as participants in a strike, their "interests" are often invoked in negotiations involving strikes. What is the public reaction to strikes and are strikes a social problem? Tied to public reaction is the concept of consensus. The stated aim of a democratic society is to arrive at some form of consensus about social actions which may have detrimental effects on some sectors of that society. The overriding determinant in the consensus is the law. Within the industrial f ield, can some consensus be arrived at concerning the right of unions to back up their demands?