Meaning & use
strikebreaking
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Meaning
noununcountable
The act of working in place of striking employees, or hiring others to do so, in order to weaken a strike.
Grammar: Uncountable: accused of strikebreaking.
Patterns
- accuse someone of strikebreaking
The union accused the factory of strikebreaking when it hired temporary workers.
Strikebreaking caused violent clashes at the dock in the 1920s.
Some laws now limit strikebreaking during labor disputes.
Common combinations
- accused of strikebreaking
- The manager was accused of strikebreaking.
- ban on strikebreaking
- The law included a ban on strikebreaking.
- hired for strikebreaking
- The agency was hired for strikebreaking at the mine.
- history of strikebreaking
- The film explores a long history of strikebreaking.
- organised strikebreaking
- Organised strikebreaking turned the walkout into a battle.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scabbing
- Scabbing is a slang, insulting word for crossing a picket line, while strikebreaking is the more neutral term.
- blacklegging
- Blacklegging is a British informal term for acting as a strikebreaker, with strong disapproval.
- crossing the picket line
- This phrase describes one act, while strikebreaking describes the broader practice.
Opposites
Word family
- strikebreaker noun
- a person who works during a strike
- strike noun
- a refusal by workers to work
- picket noun
- a protester standing outside a workplace
- walkout noun
- a sudden strike
Commonly confused: strikebreaking or strikebreaker?
strikebreaking vs strikebreaker
A strikebreaker is the person, while strikebreaking is the activity.
Practice
The union was furious about the company's ___, since temporary staff were replacing the workers on strike.
Choose one answer.
Strikebreaking means using others to replace striking workers. Negotiating is a tempting choice, but does not describe replacing strikers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “strikebreaking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.