People of all occupations have certain labor rights, but the right to strike can often be disputed. Some people believe that striking should be allowed regardless of profession, while others claim there should be some exceptions to this rule. Although it is true that all occupations are valuable in their own ways, I contend essential workers such as those in healthcare and the military should not have a right to strike whenever they want.
People living in a particular state are normally given the same set of rights, including those related to employment. In other words, there is no discrimination of one’s importance in professional matters, and this is sensible in any democratic society where people are considered to be equal. Thus, some individuals support the idea that any employee can refuse to work if there are poor working conditions or low wages, problems that are typically the most alarming for people in most professions.
Equality in the given context is not supported by all. There are people who firmly believe that some jobs are more socially responsible than others. Normally, those occupations are doctors, lawyers and military personnel. What unites these jobs is that they ensure public safety, and in a scenario where employees in these sectors stop working, some degree of chaos can disrupt a certain region or a whole nation. In 2022, according to NHS, over 4,000 medical workers in the UK went on a four-day industrial action, as a result of which more than 400,000 appointments had to be rescheduled. Arguably, some of those appointments could have been critical, leaving people in dangerous conditions.
In my view, I tend to agree with those who believe there should be exceptions. Public safety is crucial to the economic and political stability in any country, with work stoppages potentially leading to dire consequences. Similar to an example related to doctors, we can imagine a country’s army striking for a week or two. For a nation that has border disputes, for instance, this strike could result in casualties.
In summary, the idea that everyone has a right to strike may be appealing, but in reality some jobs are more essential for a county’s safety than others, meaning there should be several limitations.