Date
|
Name
|
Place
|
Country
|
|
1820
|
Radical War
|
Central Belt,Scotland
|
United Kingdom
|
Influenced byRadicaldemands for reform, especially among Scottish weavers
|
1835
|
Philadelphia general strike of 1835
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
United States
|
Successful strike for a ten-hour work day and better wages
|
1842
|
General Strike of 1842
|
England and Wales
|
United Kingdom
|
Chartistgeneral strike against low wages originating fromcoal minersinStaffordshirebefore spreading to multiple industries in theMidlandsas well as coal mines across the country.
|
1855
|
1855 Catalan general strike
|
Catalonia
|
Spain
|
1862–1865
|
General strike of slaves
|
Nationwide
|
Confederate States of America
|
Slavesin theSouthern United Statesstopped work and attempted to cross the frontlines of theAmerican Civil Warinto Union territory, in whatW.E.B. Du Boisheld to be a crucial turning point in the war.[48]
|
1877
|
Great Railroad Strike of 1877
|
West Virginia,Maryland,New York,Pennsylvania,Illinois,Missouri
|
United States
|
Strike by rail workers in a number of different states for wage increases; ended after 52 days with a suppression by theNational Guardand local militias
|
1886
|
Walloon jacquerie of 1886
|
Wallonia
|
Belgium
|
|
1892
|
New Orleans general strike of 1892
|
New Orleans, Louisiana
|
United States
|
Successful strike for a 10-hour day andovertime pay;notable for the participation of both white and black strikers
|
1893
|
Belgian general strike of 1893
|
Mons
|
Belgium
|
Strike by theBelgian Labour Partyto pressure Prime MinisterAuguste Beernaert'sCatholic Partygovernment to introduceuniversal male suffrage
|
1901
|
1901 Ybor City strikes[49]
|
Ybor City,Tampa, Florida
|
United States
|
1902
|
Geneva general strike of 1902
|
Geneva
|
Switzerland
|
1904
|
1904 Italian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Italy
|
1905
|
1905 Russian Revolution
|
Nationwide
|
Russian Empire
|
General strike by workers in the industrial centres of the Russian Empire; suppressed by theImperial Russian Army.
|
1907
|
Geneva general strike of 1907
|
Geneva
|
Switzerland
|
|
1907
|
New Orleans General Levee Strike of 1907
|
New Orleans
|
United States
|
|
1909
|
Tragic Week
|
Barcelona,Catalonia
|
Spain
|
|
1909
|
Swedish General Strike
|
Nationwide
|
Sweden
|
Unsuccessful general strike called by theSwedish Trade Union Confederation
|
1910
|
Philadelphia general strike of 1910
|
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
|
United States
|
Amalgamated Transit Unionstrike ofPhiladelphia Transportation Companytrolley workers which expanded into a citywideAmerican Federation of Laborgeneral strike, eventually leading to wage increases
|
1912
|
Brisbane general strike of 1912
|
Brisbane,Queensland
|
Australia
|
Caused whenAustralian Tramway Employees Unionmembers were dismissed for wearing union badges; ended withQueensland Police Serviceattacks on labor marchers inMarket Squareleading to a public outcry and the strengthening of theAustralian labour movement
|
1912
|
Zürich general strike of 1912
|
Zürich
|
Switzerland
|
|
1917
|
Australian general strike of 1917
|
Nationwide
|
Australia
|
|
1917
|
Spanish general strike of 1917
|
Nationwide
|
Spain
|
|
1917
|
1917–1919 Brazil strike movement
|
Rio de Janeiro,São PauloandRio Grande do Sul
|
Brazil
|
Series of general strikes leading to an attemptedanarchistuprising against theFirst Brazilian Republic.
|
1917
|
1917 Twin Cities streetcar strike
|
Minneapolis–Saint Paul
|
United States
|
Sympathetic general strike held on December 13 in support of streetcar workers who had been engaged in a labor dispute for the past several weeks. Involved about 10,000 people.
|
1918
|
Irish General Strike against Conscription
|
Ireland
|
United Kingdom
|
|
1918
|
Swiss general strike of 1918
|
Nationwide
|
Switzerland
|
|
1918
|
Vancouver general strike
|
Vancouver,British Columbia
|
Canada
|
General strike caused by the arrest ofAlbert "Ginger" Goodwin,discontent over high living costs and low wages duringWorld War I,and theOctober Revolution;ended with police attacks on union offices
|
1919
|
La Canadenca strike
|
Catalonia
|
Spain
|
|
1919
|
Basel and Zürich general strike of 1919
|
BaselandZürich
|
Switzerland
|
|
1919
|
Seattle General Strike
|
Seattle,Washington
|
United States
|
Industrial Workers of the Worldstrike caused when theEmergency Fleet Corporationdeniedshipbuilders' demands for higher wages and intended to start a socialist revolution; contributed to theFirst Red Scare
|
1919
|
Winnipeg general strike
|
Winnipeg,Manitoba
|
Canada
|
General strike ending with repression by theNorth-West Mounted Policebut leading to the growth of theCanadian democratic socialistandlabor movements.
|
1920
|
Berlin general strike
|
Berlin
|
Germany
|
General strike encouraged by the government to resist an attempted overthrow of theWeimar Republic
|
1920
|
Ruhr uprising
|
Ruhr
|
Germany
|
General strike in support of theSocial Democraticgovernment before expanding into a mass labor uprising to establish a "dictatorship of the proletariat";suppressed by theFreikorpsand theReichswehr
|
1920
|
Romanian general strike of 1920
|
Nationwide
|
Romania
|
|
1922
|
Italian general strike of 1922
|
Nationwide
|
Italy
|
Unsuccessful general strike intended to prevent aseizure of powerbyBenito Mussolini'sNational Fascist Party
|
1922
|
Guayaquil general strike
|
Guayaquil
|
Ecuador
|
1926
|
United Kingdom general strike of 1926
|
Nationwide
|
United Kingdom
|
10-day general strike by theGeneral Council of the Trades Union Congressto prevent wage reductions and worsened conditions forcoal miners;ended without concessions or violence.
|
1926
|
Sierra Leone railway strike of 1926
|
Nationwide
|
Sierra Leone
|
|
1932
|
Geneva general strike of 1932
|
Geneva
|
Switzerland
|
|
1933
|
1933 Cuban general strike
|
Nationwide, initially inHavana
|
Cuba
|
The strike would originally begin as a strike for bus drivers in Havana and would later grow to other sectors and spread throughout the country. The strike led to the resignation of PresidentGerardo Machado.[50]
|
1933
|
1933 Ecuadorian general strike[51]
|
Quito,Riobamba
|
Ecuador
|
|
1933
|
French general strike of 1933
|
Nationwide
|
France
|
|
1934
|
Portuguese general strike of 1934
|
Nationwide
|
Portugal
|
|
1934
|
West Coast waterfront strike of 1934
|
California,OregonandWashington
|
United States
|
83-day general strike in support of theInternational Longshoremen's Associationduring theGreat Depression;the success of the strike contributed to the growth ofindustrial unionismunder theCongress of Industrial Organizations.
|
1934
|
Minneapolis general strike of 1934
|
Minneapolis,Minnesota
|
United States
|
|
1934
|
Auto-Lite strike
|
Toledo, Ohio
|
United States
|
|
1936
|
French general strike of 1936
|
Nationwide
|
France
|
|
1936
|
Spanish Revolution of 1936
|
Nationwide
|
Spain
|
|
1936
|
1936 Syrian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Syria
|
1936
|
Palestinian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Mandatory Palestine
|
General strike coordinated by theArab Higher CommitteeagainstJewish settlement in Palestine;eventually led to the1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine.
|
1938
|
French general strike of 1938
|
Nationwide
|
France
|
|
1941
|
February strike
|
Nationwide
|
Netherlands
|
|
1942
|
Luxembourgish general strike of 1942
|
Nationwide
|
Luxembourg
|
Campaign ofpassive resistanceagainst theNazi occupationduringWorld War II.
|
1945
|
Nigerian general strike of 1945
|
Nationwide
|
Nigeria
|
|
1946
|
Royal Indian Navy mutiny
|
Nationwide
|
India
|
|
1946
|
Oakland general strike of 1946
|
Oakland, California
|
United States
|
Part of the1945-46 strike wave in the United Statesduring theU.S. demobilization after World War IIand the abolition ofNational War Labor Boardrestrictions, which contributed to the passage of theTaft–Hartley Actrestricting union activities and strike actions.
|
1950
|
Austrian general strikes of 1950
|
Nationwide
|
Austria
|
|
1950
|
Belgian general strike of 1950
|
Nationwide
|
Belgium
|
Originated over opposition to KingLeopold III of Belgiumbeing returned to throne after his refusal to leave Belgium with thegovernment-in-exileduring theNazi occupation;ended with his agreement to abdicate and allow his sonBaudouinto take the throne
|
1950
|
Nairobi general strike of 1950
|
Nairobi
|
Kenya
|
|
1950
|
Positive Action campaign
|
Nationwide
|
Gold Coast
|
|
1952
|
Casablanca Uprisings of 1952
|
Casablanca
|
Morocco
|
|
1953
|
Ceylonese Hartal of 1953
|
Nationwide
|
Ceylon
|
|
1953
|
Uprising of 1953
|
Nationwide
|
East Germany
|
Originated as strike byEast Berlinconstruction workers againstSovietizationwork quotasbefore expanding to a broad revolt against theSoviet-sponsoredSocialist Unity Party's rule; repressed by theSoviet Armyand theKasernierte Volkspolizei
|
1954
|
General strike of 1954
|
Nationwide
|
Honduras
|
|
1956
|
Finnish general strike of 1956
|
Nationwide
|
Finland
|
SuccessfulCentral Organisation of Finnish Trade Unionsgeneral strike for higher wages
|
1960–61
|
Belgian general strike of 1960–61
|
Wallonia
|
Belgium
|
General Labour Federation of Belgiumgeneral strike against Prime MinisterGaston Eyskens's austerity policies, especially theUnitary Law;contributed to the growth of theWalloon Movement
|
1966
|
1966 Burkina Faso general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Burkina Faso
|
|
1968
|
French general strike of May 1968
|
Nationwide
|
France
|
Student protestswhich escalated into a nationwide general strike which halted theFrench economyand continued withwildcat strikesafter theGrenelle agreementsgranted higher wages, leading to fears of a revolution againstCharles de Gaulle;ended withGaullistcounter-demonstrations and a vote of confidence from theNational Assembly.
|
1971-72
|
Namibian contract workers general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Namibia
|
A general strike by workers under the contract labor system of what was then known asSouth West Africa(nowNamibia) under the control of apartheid South Africa. The goal was to end the contract labor system due to slave like conditions and promote Namibian independence. It led toSWANLAbeing abolished & replaced with a less punitive but still repressive contract labor system. It also fueled thewar for independence.
|
1972
|
Québec general strike of 1972[52]
|
Québec
|
Canada
|
|
1973
|
Uruguay general strike of 1973
|
Nationwide
|
Uruguay
|
Unsuccessful general strike against the1973 Uruguayan coup d'état,leading thecivic-military dictatorshipto ban trade unions.
|
1974
|
Ulster Workers' Council strike
|
Northern Ireland
|
United Kingdom
|
SuccessfulUlster loyalistgeneral strike against theSunningdale AgreementbetweenGreat BritainandIreland,which would have attempted to resolve theNorthern Ireland conflictby establishing a power-sharingNorthern Ireland Executiveand revivedCouncil of Ireland
|
1975
|
Icelandic women's strike of 1975
|
Nationwide
|
Iceland
|
|
1976
|
Canadian general strike of 1976[53][54]
|
Nationwide
|
Canada
|
|
1976
|
March 24 strike
|
Nationwide
|
People's Republic of the Congo
|
|
1978
|
Iranian Revolution
|
Nationwide
|
Iran
|
|
1979
|
1979 New Zealand general strike
|
Nationwide
|
New Zealand
|
The Federation of Labour holds a 24-hour general strike held to protest theThird National Government's intervention in the general drivers'award.[55][56]
|
1984
|
Uruguayan general strikes of 1984
|
Nationwide
|
Uruguay
|
Successfully ended the Uruguayan dictatorships by forcing free elections to occur under the threat of continued rolling 24 hour general strikes if not allowed.[57]
|
1988
|
Spanish general strike of 1988
|
Nationwide
|
Spain
|
Workers' CommissionsandUnión General de Trabajadoresstrike against theSpanish Socialist Workers' Party's policies under Prime MinisterFelipe González
|
1989
|
Velvet Revolution
|
Nationwide
|
Czechoslovakia
|
1990
|
1990 Moroccan general strike[58]
|
Nationwide
|
Morocco
|
|
1992
|
April 1992 general strike in Nepal
|
Nationwide
|
Nepal
|
|
1995
|
French general strikes of 1995
|
Nationwide
|
France
|
|
1998
|
1998 Danish general strike[59]
|
Copenhagen
|
Denmark
|
|
1998
|
1998 Puerto Rican general strike
|
Nationwide
|
United States( Puerto Rico)
|
41-day general strike against the privatization of thePuerto Rico Telephone Company,accompanied by some violence and sabotage.
|
2000
|
Cochabamba Water War
|
Cochabamba
|
Bolivia
|
|
2002–2003
|
Venezuelan general strike of 2002–2003
|
Nationwide
|
Venezuela
|
General strike against PresidentHugo Chávezincluding a large contingent ofPDVSAworkers.
|
2003
|
Bolivian gas conflict
|
Nationwide
|
Bolivia
|
|
2006
|
Nepalese Revolution
|
Nationwide
|
Nepal
|
|
2007
|
2007 Guinea general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Guinea
|
Successful general strike forcing PresidentLansana Contéto resign.
|
2007
|
2007 South African public servants' strike
|
Nationwide
|
South Africa
|
|
2007
|
2007 Swazi general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Eswatini
|
|
2008
|
2008 Egyptian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Egypt
|
General strike including large contingent of textile workers during the2007–2008 world food price crisis
|
2009
|
2009 French Caribbean general strikes
|
Guadeloupe
|
France
|
|
2011
|
2011 Oakland general strike
|
Oakland, California
|
United States
|
Part of theOccupy Oaklanddemonstrations
|
2012
|
2012 European general strike
|
Cyprus,Malta,Portugal,Italy,Spain,France,Greece,Belgium
|
European Union
|
|
2016
|
Indian general strike of 2016
|
Nationwide
|
India
|
24-hour general strike against Prime MinisterNarendra Modi's economic policies
|
2017
|
2017 Brazilian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Brazil
|
General strike against PresidentMichel Temer'slabor reform policiesduring theBrazilian economic crisis.
|
2017
|
2017 Catalan general strike
|
Catalonia
|
Spain
|
General strike in support of theCatalan independence movement,accompanied by police repression by the Spanish government.
|
2018
|
2018 Jordanian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Jordan
|
Anti-austerity general strike
|
2018–2019
|
2018–2019 Iranian general strikes and protests
|
Nationwide
|
Iran
|
|
2018–present
|
School strike for climate
|
Global
|
Various
|
International movement of students skipping classes to supportrenewable energyandclimate change mitigation
|
2019
|
2019 Catalan general strike
|
Catalonia
|
Spain
|
|
2019
|
2019 Hong Kong general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Hong Kong
|
|
2019
|
2019 Indian General Strike[60]
|
Nationwide
|
India
|
|
2019
|
Sudanese Revolution
|
Nationwide
|
Sudan
|
|
2020
|
2020–2021 Belarusian protests
|
Nationwide
|
Belarus
|
|
2020
|
2020 United States essential workers general strike
|
Nationwide
|
United States
|
General strike involvingessential workersduring theCOVID-19 pandemic
|
2020
|
Strike for Black Lives
|
Nationwide
|
United States
|
Mass walkout in support of theGeorge Floyd protests
|
2020
|
2020 Indian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
India
|
Preceded the2020–2021 Indian farmers' protest
|
2021
|
2021 Greek general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Greece
|
24-hour general strike against a bill in theHellenic Parliamentthat would give employers more power in regards to their employees.[61]
|
2021
|
2021 Myanmar strikes
|
Nationwide
|
Myanmar
|
|
2021
|
Striketober
|
Nationwide
|
United States
|
|
2022
|
2022 Iranian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Iran
|
3 day general strike in response to protestors killed by Iranian security forces.[62]
|
2022
|
2022 Kazakh unrest
|
Nationwide
|
Kazakhstan
|
|
2024
|
2024 Nigerian general strike
|
Nationwide
|
Nigeria
|
General strike due to low minimum wage.[63]
|