Re:When McDonalds Came to Denmark
by pistolpeteDK on Wednesday September 22, 2021 @01:50PM
(#28619456)
It’s a little more nuanced I’d say.
For once; strikes are supposed to be related to labor-stuff.
There’s a court called the “workerscourt” (arbejdsretten) in Denmark. It deals with strikes etc. an unlawful can be called to an end by this court; and all participants in an illegal strike can be ordered to pay a rather significant amount for each hour not-working.
So it’s really rather regulated.
Some sectors aren’t allowed to strike at all - under no circumstances. Workers here get extra benefits and a great retirement plan, but no right to strike.
https://apnews.com/article/58d7ba8ee9ebc8ae934a20722ecf05c3
The unions were basically able to shut the entire country down due to negotiations of 5 weeks of vacation versus 6 weeks of vacation.
From the article:
>The strike forced Scandinavian Airlines System, the region’s main carrier, to cancel all flights to Copenhagen, the airline’s principal hub. Some other airlines, including Finnair, were able to maintain service Monday but said they may have to cancel flights today.
>Many private bus companies and ferry lines stopped service, although public-run service continued, as did railroad service. But pickets put pressure on public-sector workers to join the strike in sympathy.
>In Aarhus on the Danish mainland, police scuffled with pickets who were trying to prevent vehicles from boarding the ferries to Zealand, the island on which Copenhagen sits. In Copenhagen, pickets from a private garbage-collection company briefly blocked public garbage collectors.
Now a lot of the majority of union members tend to be blue collar workers. In the US, those would be the biggest demographic that we’re Trump supporters. Imagine a general strike being called over “the stolen election”. Or a general strike over vaccine/mask mandates. Or in the future, a “sympathy strike” on behalf of coal workers harmed by tightening carbon restrictions.
Unions and especially coordinated unions across industries are a very powerful force. I do not have confidence that such a force would be actually used for net good in the US.