More than once workers' unions in Uruguay have been criticized for using strikes in a disproportionate way. It seems that the only protest resource available is to strike: they assault a taxi driver and all transport strikes, the insult a teacher and the education stops, there is a new salary negotiations and as demonstration of power a twenty four hour general strike.
There is no doubt that the use of strikes is exaggerated damaging many and risking the social solidarity that the action pretends to create. In my personal experience, I have participated in several strikes and lock outs as a student in law school in Uruguay. Despite losing two years of studies, I always considered these measures as important and necessary, though no real improvement of the situation was achieved. What is relevant is that in all these actions there was always support from other unions joining together in the struggle by striking themselves and joining in the demonstrations.
I have been living in Israel for more than eight years and I have seen more than one social and labor conflict, including an almost six month strike from university professors. What I have never seen is the support from other sectors in the struggle. It seems as class or social solidarity is not a strong value in this country.
In these days it is the social workers who are fighting. As in many countries, social workers earn inadequate salaries and work in impossible conditions. For more than a week they have been demonstrating and striking. Similar to previous cases, as it was the strike in education, or the nurses' fight or the handicapped, I am still waiting for the Histadrut (National Workers' Union) and other sectors' actions.
I must say that in several cases the Histadrut's leadership and its actual president, Ofer Eini, have worked hard to solve conflicts and striking has been the last measure. Anyway, in the cases above mentioned I have not seen the solidarity of the strong unions in the struggle. How would the government and the Ministry of Finance react if the social workers would be joined in strike by the port and airport workers? How would the government react if the handicapped demonstration was joined by the Electric company workers?
There are several examples of this lack of solidarity. One of them was the university professors' strike which was not joined by a student strike; the same students that one year before stroke but, apart from some letter and some declarations, were not supported by the professors; and all of them fighting for improving higher education.
The lack of solidarity is so strong that, for example, in many cities when kindergarten workers strike, the private firm in charge of the kindergartens in the afternoon sends its teachers to open the kindergarten in the morning; transforming these teachers into strike breakers without any action or protest from the Histadrut. The private firm teachers risk their jobs if they do not comply with this, which is established by contract. I have asked the Histadrut on the subject but have received no answer yet.
I do not want to imagine what would happen in other countries in a similar situation. As an example from my own experience: once the law school workers went on strike and the students did not support the measure. When the strike finished it was better not to get near the faculty's offices, they would not even give you an official document if they knew you were one of the students who vote against them.
In Israel there exists a strong solidarity when it refers to national issues. When there was the war in the north, there were more families in the south and center of the country who opened their homes than families from the north who wanted to leave their houses. However, when it comes to social or class solidarity, Israel has much to learn and improve.
I agree that using an extreme measure as a strike cannot be used in an irresponsible way. However, and this is more important, when one sector fights, we must support them. Only the union of all workers can bring the necessary social change. We could start by making May 1st a national holiday again.
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