Industrial Revolution And The Right To Strike: Balancing Worker’s Rights With Public Interest

Gungun Agrawal, Pravin Gandhi College of Law, Mumbai

Garima Singh, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

ABSTRACT

The condition of the working class from time immemorial has been heart- rending but it was most distressing at the time of the Industrial Revolution, which began around the late 18th century in Europe, and it was at the time when the concept of having Labour Laws for the land arose. Workers back then had to put in a lot of overtime and due to high unemployment rates and the dire economic situation, wages were exceedingly low. The introduction of new machines and superior technology only served to inflame the workers' resentment since they believed the machines would take away whatever was left of their enterprises. This changed with time and soon the workers realized that they should stand up for themselves and started protesting against the atrocious acts of industrialists. These demonstrations and riots made employers and the government petrified, which led the state to enact rules and regulations that favored the working class. However, this shows how important it is for workers and laborers, in general, to organize strikes, demonstrations, and protests for them. This article takes the reader through working-class struggles from the European Industrial Revolution to modern- day India. It then discusses the course of action taken by the European Government to deal with the problems of the 19th century and then seeks to discuss the validity of the Right to Strike as a Fundamental Right in the light of the laws being followed in India and other countries all around the world keeping public interest in mind.

Keywords: Strike, Labour, Right, Industrial Revolution, Workers, Public Interest, Right to Strike, Fundamental Right