A strike is a form of industrial action, an organised withdrawal of labour whereby employees refuse to work as a way of protesting against their employer (or sometimes others) and gain concessions. Usually this is in respect of working conditions, improvements to terms and conditions of employment such as pay or to try and stop detrimental changes such as reductions to pension benefits. A strike may also be intended to put pressure on an employer as regards action against employees who are members of the union. In most cases a strike will be organised by a trade union and will be preceded by a ballot of members.

In certain circumstances strike action can be protected, and in these cases, for instance, employees cannot usually be dismissed for this reason. Further information can be found here.