Strike pay is a payment made by a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

workers The workforce or labour force is a concept referring to the pool of human beings either in employment or in unemployment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic regio ...

who are on

strike Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

to help in meeting their basic needs while on strike, often out of a special

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

known as a ''strike fund''. Union workers reason that the availability of strike pay increases their leverage at the bargaining table and actually decreases the probability of a strike, since the employers are aware that their employees have this financial resource available to them if they choose to strike."The Value of a Strike Fund" Association of Flight Attendants-CWA website; access date September 22, 2011
/ref>

By countries

Spain

The main unions providing a strike fund in Spain are (USO) and the Basque

Basque Workers' Solidarity Basque Workers' Solidarity (in Basque: ''Eusko Langileen Alkartasuna'' (ELA), in Spanish: ''Solidaridad de Trabajadores Vascos'' (STV)) is the most influential trade union in Basque Country, having been created, as ''Solidaridad de Obreros Vascos ...

(ELA-STV). According to ELA, its fund received 13.7 million euros between 2008 and 2011, 15.1% of its expenses, and 19.1 M€ between 2012 and 2016 (16,24%). It receives amounts to 25% of the dues of its members. ELA-STV strikers can receive between 1,000 €/month (the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation by the end of the 20th century. Bec ...

in Spain) and 1,243 €. Another Basque union provides a maximum of 30 €/day (900 €/month) after the second day of the strike. Strikes funded by ELA-STV can become long: 235 days at Tubacex, 285 among the cleaners of the

Guggenheim Bilbao Museum The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spa ...

, over 1,000 days at Novaltia.

United Kingdom

Whilst some trade unions make payments to members who are on an official strike there is no requirement to do so. The UK Government makes the presumption that

on official strike action are being paid strike pay, and so they may not be entitled to

state benefits Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

Strike fund

A strike fund is a reserve set up by a union ahead of time (through

special assessment In the United States, a special assessment is a charge that public authorities can assess against real estate parcels for certain public projects. This charge is levied in a specific geographic area known as a special assessment district (SAD). ...

s or from general funds) and used to provide strike pay or for other strike-related activities.

Sources

European Employment and Industrial Relations Glossaries Online

References

External links

Legamus audiorecording of "Strike-Pay" by D. H. Lawrence read by Martin Geeson.
Labor relations Trade unions Pay Payments {{Organized labor