Italian strike (Working according to the rules). What is an Italian strike? Social conflicts in Vsevolzhsk and on the Apennine Peninsula
Strict compliance with all rules and regulations by all employees, oddly enough, leads to colossal economic losses for the company as a whole.
Purposeful compliance with the code and instructions by enterprise employees is usually called an Italian strike.
What is an Italian strike?
A regular strike is a cessation of work by employees of an enterprise to fight against the owner of the organization, in order to stop the exploitation of workers.
Unlike a regular strike, an Italian one is a form of protest that implies strict compliance by employees of the organization with all job descriptions and rules, without violating them in absolutely anything.
The term “Italian strike” began to be used after 1904, when in Italy, either police or railway workers (information varies), in order to achieve an increase in wages, began to carry out everything strictly according to instructions, without deviating a step from it, thereby provoking disruptions in work.
Subsequently, this civilized way of dealing with superiors began to spread in other countries, including Russia.
Thus, back in July 1907, the newspaper “Russkoe Slovo” reported: “On the St. Petersburg-Warsaw railway there is an “Italian” strike, which consists of strictly following instructions during maneuvers, due to which trains are late and many are cancelled.”
The Labor Code of the Russian Federation has an article regulating the conduct of ordinary strikes. In accordance with Art. 398 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, a strike should be understood as a temporary voluntary refusal of workers to perform labor duties (in whole or in part) in order to resolve a collective labor dispute. The procedure for declaring and conducting a strike is also clearly regulated by labor legislation. Thus, before going on strike, protesters need to announce this to their leaders and hold a series of conferences and labor meetings.
But there is no way to hold Italian strikes not regulated Russian labor legislation, therefore, any responsibility for carrying out this action not provided. In this regard, employees planning to carry out an Italian strike do not need to notify the employer about the conduct and duration of the strike.
During the Italian strike, employees must strictly comply with all production standards, labor protection rules, fire safety rules, work and rest hours, and refuse overtime and work on weekends. For a successful campaign, it is necessary that as many employees as possible participate in the campaign.
The unofficial champion of Italian strikes is the Ford plant in Vsevolozhsk, whose employees have protested in Italian 3 times (in 2005, 2007, 2010) and very successfully. Since the last strike in 2010, they have won an 11.8% wage increase and a benefits package that includes health insurance, meal allowance, transportation to and from work, interest-free loans and discounts on car purchases.
The strikes lasted for 5 days, during which special attention was paid to safety control and compliance with the rules when transporting cars. According to statements from plant employees, such actions led to downtime of 4-5 hours daily. During the week of the campaign, production volume at the plant fell seriously, and the supply of cars to dealers was under threat.
To achieve these results, protesters must follow certain rules that will prevent company management from firing them for poor quality the work being done. The trade union NPPO “ZASCHITA” recently published the following set of rules for those wishing to hold an Italian strike:
1. Strictly comply with the internal labor regulations (Article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
2. Require actual safety training where it is provided and not just sign in the journal about familiarization. In accordance with Part 2 of Art.
21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employee is obliged to comply with the requirements for labor protection and occupational safety, but at the same time, according to Part 1 of Art.
21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee has the right to complete reliable information about working conditions and labor protection requirements in the workplace.
3. Strictly comply with established labor standards (Part 1 of Article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation), in no case exceeding them. 4. In the absence of equipment, tools, technical documentation and other means necessary for the employee to perform his job duties, immediately notify the employer. If due to the lack of this equipment, tools, technical documentation, etc. it is impossible for the employee to fulfill his job duties, it is also necessary to notify the employer about the beginning of downtime due to the employer’s fault (part 4 of article 157 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
5. If the employee is not provided with
with installed
standards for personal and collective protective equipment, it is necessary to notify the employer of the beginning of downtime due to his fault. According to Part 5 of Art.
220 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, in this case, the employer does not have the right to require the employee to perform labor duties and to apply any disciplinary sanctions to the employee in connection with refusal to perform labor duties.
2) to prevent accidents, destruction or damage to the employer’s property, state or municipal property;
3) to perform work the need for which is due to the introduction of a state of emergency or martial law, as well as urgent work in emergency circumstances, that is, in the event of a disaster or threat of disaster (fires, floods, famine, earthquakes, epidemics or epizootics) and in other cases, threatening the life or normal living conditions of the entire population or part of it.
Compliance with these rules will not give the employer the opportunity to attract you to disciplinary responsibility.
How to prevent an Italian strike?
It is very difficult to fight the Italian strike; usual methods such as reprimands, fines and dismissals do not work, because in fact, the employees are doing the work correctly and in accordance with all instructions and standards.
Moreover, Russian enterprises (especially factories) are almost always in such a state that it is almost impossible to work on them without violating instructions and safety precautions. Despite this, there is always a way out! Such an action must be prevented.
Each owner/manager of an enterprise must know all the “weak points” of his company, so that when distributing funds for the year, he also includes expenses for improving working conditions and improving the skills of workers.
The source of protest is people, or rather informal leaders. Knowing this, it makes no sense to punish employees when they can be motivated. It is possible to provide the leaders of groups (calves, brigades, teams) with a certain freedom of action, for example, the right to distribute social benefits. At the same time, it is very important to ensure that the actual leader of the department is also an informal leader.
During the consideration of the amendments, A Just Russia deputy Ilya Ponomarev, having finished listing the amendments, which took him 15 minutes, wished his colleagues a bon appetit, after which the State Duma went on a lunch break.
After lunch, the head of the State Duma Committee on Constitutional Legislation proposed reducing voting on each amendment to 5 seconds, while Communist Party MP Nikolai Kolomeytsev spoke with the opposite proposal. As a result, Speaker Sergei Naryshkin called for adherence to the established rules - 15 seconds per amendment.
When the spravorosy listed the numbers of amendments that they wanted to submit for separate consideration, Naryshkin asked them to read more slowly so that he could write them down.
Thus, the Spravoros themselves were not happy with their initiative. The State Duma meeting ended between 23.00 and 24.00.
Have you ever taken part in Italian strikes?
Drawing: Dmitry Petrov / "Solidarity"
A form of collective protest action in which employees of a particular enterprise work strictly in accordance with the laws and regulations of their enterprise, absolutely without deviating from the norms and without doing anything beyond their prescribed obligations. Since the implementation of all bureaucratic procedures in any country and at any enterprise is practically impossible, the Italian strike leads to a significant slowdown in work and a decrease in labor productivity (in some cases, it comes to a complete stop of production). At the same time, the participants in the Italian strike act completely in accordance with the law, which means it is not possible to hold them accountable under any article of the law.
First of all, the primary trade union organization needs to attract as many workers as possible to this action, because the action will only be effective if it is of a mass nature. Make a decision at a meeting of the labor collective or trade union committee to begin work according to the rules and notify the employer about this decision.
In connection with the action, it is necessary to explain to the employees participating in it the following rules (compliance with them eliminates the possibility of bringing the employee to disciplinary liability and increases the effectiveness of this event):
2. Require actual safety training where it is provided (for example, during hot work), and not just sign in the familiarization log. In accordance with Part 2 of Art. 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, the employee is obliged to comply with the requirements for labor protection and occupational safety, but at the same time, according to Part 1 of Art. 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, an employee has the right to complete reliable information about working conditions and labor protection requirements in the workplace.
3. Strictly comply with the established labor (output) standards (Part 1 of Article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation), in no case exceeding them.
4. In the absence of equipment, tools, technical documentation and other means necessary for the employee to perform his job duties, immediately notify the employer (immediate supervisor, other representative of the employer). If due to the lack of this equipment, tools, technical documentation, etc. it is impossible for the employee to fulfill his job duties, it is also necessary to notify the employer about the beginning of downtime due to the employer’s fault (part 4 of article 157 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation).
5. If the employee is not provided with personal and collective protective equipment in accordance with established standards, it is necessary to notify the employer of the start of downtime due to his fault. In accordance with Part 5 of Art. 220 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, in this case, the employer does not have the right to require the employee to perform labor duties and to apply any disciplinary sanctions to the employee in connection with refusal to perform labor duties.
6. If the PVTR states that the employee is obliged to clean the workplace at the end of work (or keep the workplace clean) - clean the workplace not after the end of the working day, but 5 minutes before the end of the working day, since this is the employee’s responsibility which he is obliged to carry out within a specified time.
7. Perform only the work and observe only those job duties that are provided for by his job (job) responsibilities, with which the employee is familiar.
8. Refuse to work on weekends and holidays (Article 113 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation) and overtime work (Article 99 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). In this case, it is necessary to remember that engaging an employee to work on holidays and overtime without his consent is possible only in cases specified by law, namely:
1) to prevent a catastrophe, industrial accident or eliminate the consequences of a catastrophe, industrial accident or natural disaster;
2) to prevent accidents, destruction or damage to the employer’s property, state or municipal property;
3) to perform work the need for which is due to the introduction of a state of emergency or martial law, as well as urgent work in emergency circumstances, that is, in the event of a disaster or threat of disaster (fires, floods, famine, earthquakes, epidemics or epizootics) and in other cases, threatening the life or normal living conditions of the entire population or part of it.
Variation on a theme - Japanese strike
According to the free encyclopedia Wikipedia, a similar form of protest similar to the Italian strike is widespread in Japan - the so-called "Japanese strike". A month before the start, employees notify the employer. During the strike, everyone works according to the rules, while details (inscriptions, symbols) are used in clothing that speak about the demands being put forward or simply about the very fact of disagreement with the employer.
The type of strike, which is called an Italian strike, does not imply a complete suspension of work. The strikers carry out their duties in compliance with all instructions, which greatly increases the time. How do the courts treat such actions and what consequences do strikes entail for the company?
To fight for their rights, workers use different methods. One of them is suspension of activities. The law defines the concept of a strike: it is a temporary voluntary refusal of workers to work in order to resolve a collective labor dispute ().
There are situations when an employee does not formally refuse responsibilities, but efficiency and speed are inferior to usual performance. It is difficult to find fault if the employee meets the standards and does not violate the routine. This method of strike is called Italian: let's look at what it is and how employees use it.
What is an Italian strike
The legislation does not contain the concept of “Italian strike”. The term is rarely found in judicial acts. It is believed that this method of fighting for rights got its name from the name of the country where it was first used.
An Italian strike is work strictly according to established norms and rules. Often, following multiple directions takes time. If, under normal conditions, some instructions are not followed in order to speed up the work process and increase its efficiency, then in the event of such a strike, on the contrary, workers scrupulously follow all instructions. As a result, completing tasks is delayed.
The “Italian style” strike method is used by employees of large organizations. For example, transport companies, enterprises in the field of air or railway transportation, etc. For the employer, following the instructions threatens a delay in the work process, losses and other negative consequences.
How the “Italian style” strike is used in Russia
In Russia this method is known, although it is rare. This happens because most often the responsibilities in job descriptions are general. Complicated procedures in respect of which the Italian strike will have an effect are found in the work of operation operators or other personnel. Detailing is present when, for example, there are automated programs for recording working hours, filling out documents, or other ways of recording the process and result.
Two examples of such a strike in the Russian Federation are the actions of workers at the Ford plant in St. Petersburg. They first used the method in 2005. The reason was the payment rules. To achieve change, the union made demands and promised to go on an indefinite strike. The union announced such a strike again in April 2019.
What will an employer face if his employees go on strike in Italy?
Italian strikes are usually initiated by a trade union. Workers sabotage or deliberately slow down the work process after their employer refuses to comply with their demands. Such methods of asserting rights result in problems for the employer.
Firstly, it is difficult to prove the fact of a strike, since work is ongoing. Practice shows that it is difficult to fire someone due to sabotage. An employee may, through the court, demand reinstatement at work if the company does not prove grounds for terminating the employment contract (decision of the Krasnoperekopsky District Court of the Republic of Crimea No. 2-1431/2016 ~ M-1307/2016 dated 10.10.2016).
Secondly, it is difficult to hold accountable those involved in the Italian strike. For example, a budgetary healthcare institution went to court. The society asked to declare the strike illegal. The applicant addressed the claim to the primary trade union organization of healthcare workers in the city. The plaintiff believed that the strike violated the provisions of the law (Chapter 61 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). The applicant indicated that he had previously received a collective appeal from a group of local doctors and nurses about violations of their labor rights. The reason for the letter was an order that changed the evaluation of work and the procedure for calculating incentive payments. The workers demanded that the review be prohibited and that the funds be sent to them before the deadline specified in the letter.
The message was sent by the chairman of the primary trade union organization of healthcare workers. He warned that, based on the trade union’s decision, “the work will be carried out in compliance with all standards, with maximum consideration for the interests of each child received at the reception, at the hours established by law and the work schedule of the institution.” The workers planned to follow instructions and punctually comply with all rules and regulations. They were going to spend not the usual 5-6 minutes on patients, but the standard 13-20. Employees planned to exclude working at the expense of personal time. The court rejected the claim. He considered that the applicant did not provide evidence of organizing and declaring a strike in children's clinics. Since there is no suspension of work, there is no dispute (decision of the Supreme Court of the Udmurt Republic dated April 10, 2013 in case No. 3-22/2013 dated October 25, 2016).
In which the employees of the enterprise strictly fulfill their official duties and rules, without deviating one step from them and without going beyond them one step. Sometimes the Italian strike is called working according to the rules(English) Work-to-rule).
This method of strike struggle is very effective, since it is almost impossible to work strictly according to instructions, and, coupled with the bureaucratic nature of job descriptions and the inability to take into account all the nuances of production activities, this form of protest leads to a significant decline in productivity and, accordingly, to large losses for enterprises. At the same time, it is difficult to fight the Italian strike with the help of anti-strike laws, and it is almost impossible to hold the initiators accountable, since formally they act in strict accordance with regulations.
During a strike, strikers may not necessarily follow all, but only some of the rules. Conspicuously careless work is sometimes also called an Italian strike. Some experts call such a strike a civilized method of expressing one's dissatisfaction.
The use of this form of protest in modern Russia is associated with a direct translation - “work according to the rules.” In fact, to sabotage and delay the fulfillment of production tasks in Italy, it was not the rules established by official job descriptions that were used, but the rules individually adopted for a specific action by its organizers. The effectiveness of this type of protest lies in the impossibility of the employer replacing the worker with a strikebreaker, since the striker formally does not leave the workplace.
Story
For the first time, such a struggle for one’s rights began to be used in Italy (hence the name) at the beginning of the 20th century. According to some [ what?] According to information, these were Italian pilots who, fighting for their rights, agreed to do everything strictly according to the instructions. As a result, the number of flights was significantly reduced. This is an unlikely version, since the development of aviation was not at the level to be so widespread.
According to others [ what?] sources, the Italian police were the first to use the Italian strike. One of the sites reports that the first such strike was actually carried out in Italy in 1904 by railway workers.
In Russian literature, the Italian strike is described in Dmitry Dmitrievich Nagishkin’s novel “The Heart of Bonivour”: during the Japanese intervention in the Far East, workers decide to play the “Italian bagpipe”:
The controller jumped away from the riveter.
Are you Italian?
- It's better to be Italian than Japanese!
The controller rushed around his area. He saw that the lesson had hardly progressed since the morning, despite the outward impression of intense work. The senior controller ran to the department.
“Bagpipes” was a type of Italian strike in which protesters deliberately delayed work. Ushakov's dictionary gives the following definition:
|2. only units Harmful or disorderly procrastination, slowness in work in some way. activities; some kind business, actions that drag on for a long time and do not give a meaningful result (colloquially).
A similar term entered into Soviet documents relating to events like the Vichuga general strike of 1932 and the Norilsk prisoner uprising of 1953.
In modern Russia, the Italian strike at the Ford assembly plant near St. Petersburg and the delay in the adoption of amendments to the law on rallies, organized by the Just Russia, is known, which resulted in an unprecedentedly long meeting
The Italian strike is work according to the rules. With this type of protest, the work team fulfills all labor standards and the requirements of the regulations of their enterprise. Due to the fact that it is impossible to work in this way, labor efficiency and productivity sharply decrease, or even the production process stops altogether.Italian strike rules
- Strict compliance by employees with internal labor regulations
- Requirement for actual safety training
- Strict compliance with production standards
- If you do not have the necessary tools for work, notify the employer of the start of downtime.
- If an employee does not have the personal protective equipment specified in the rules, stop work and notify superiors about the start of downtime.
- Perform only the work specified in the job description
- Refuse to work on weekends, holidays and overtime
The most important feature of the Italian strike is the inability of the administration to punish its participants in any way
Italian strike. Start
According to various sources (including Wikipedia), this kind of protest action was first held either in 1904 or 1905 in Italy.
The railway workers, who demanded that the authorities be able to strike legally, began to strictly comply with the complex railway regulations to the smallest detail, which caused a significant slowdown in work.
Example of an Italian strike
Within two weeks, police officers sharply reduced the number of arrests. For example, in a seven-day period in 2015, officers made a total of 2,401 arrests. Compared to 5,448 arrests during the same period in 2014. But the biggest losses for the city came from a 93% decrease in the number of fines for violating parking rules - one of the main sources of income for the New York budget.
Employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs carrying out border control at the airport. Ben-Gurion staged an “Italian strike” on the night of March 3, 2015, that is, they worked in strict accordance with the rules. This led to slower checks and the formation of huge queues.
The reason for the strike was employee dissatisfaction with working conditions. To avoid complete paralysis of the airport's operations, its management ordered Israeli citizens to be allowed through without checking. Foreigners had to stand in lines.
