Summary
What can you claim?
You can go on strike to assert professional claimsthat concerns :
- your remuneration (salaries, bonuses, etc.);
- your working conditions (noise, exposure to harmful products, heat, etc.);
- your working time.
You can also protest against company strategies, or redundancies.
To receive more information, contact:
- the staff representative;
- a trade union organization.
How many people does it take to call a strike?
To be legal, the strike must be collective : you can’t stop work alone if you don’t join a union slogan. A strike implies a common will to stop work. On the other hand, you can declare yourself a striker even if the majority of the employees decides to continue working.
What are you allowed to do?
You must completely stop working. You cannot slow down or do only part of your job. The strike is considered legal only if it results in a total stoppage. Otherwise, your employer can sanction you.
What are the consequences of the strike on your contract and your remuneration?
The strike temporarily suspends your employment contract, which implies in particular that:
- your employer cannot fire you;
- you cannot receive your salary while you are on strike.
Your employer can deduct from your salary the part that corresponds to the duration of the strike. It can also reduce or eliminate the bonuses linked to your presence in the company.
What are your obligations?
If you go on strike, you must respect the work of non-strikers. In effect, the offense of obstruction is a cause for dismissal.
You can receive a criminal conviction if you commit damage or acts of violence during a strike. In addition, the employer and non-strikers can seek redress in court.
Content updated on 06/27/2012
Our tips:
Your employer does not have the right to replace strikers with temporary workers or employees on fixed-term contracts. He cannot introduce benefits or increase the remuneration of non-strikers to penalize other employees.