The right to go on strike Research Essay

Each and every individual has the legal right to strike. The right, however, is susceptible to some limitations because it is not an absolute right. The defense of public morality, safety, and health is the goal of these limitations. For this reason, public safety agencies like the police and the government agencies in charge of maintaining the public’s health are prohibited from participating in protests.

Reasons Why Police Officers Should Not Protest

The essay explains why it is inappropriate for police officers to protest. Several jurisdictions do not allow police officers and the members of the armed forces to go on strike because of the essential services they provide towards the maintenance of safety and security (Brecher, 22). For example, Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights restricts the armed forces and the police force from ever taking part in strikes. The European countries are further encouraged to pass laws that restrict the same (Bean, 640). I sincerely support the restrictions on corp striking on the sole basis that these are people in whose hands the security of the whole country lies and are also always called upon to maintain safety in emergency situations. Going on strike could, therefore, expose a country to irreparable harm arising out of a lapse in security (Bean, 640). Further, if the prison officers, for example, decided to strike, it will give the incarcerated criminals an opportunity to flee away and thus exposing the country to numerous threats (Brecher, 22). Allowing a country’s police force go on strike is by itself a recipe for anarchy (Bean, 640). Further, police officers are allowed to carry firearms, if they decided to go on strike and use their firearms, they would be posing a danger to the public.

Conclusion: The Importance of Restricting Police Officers from Striking

From the above discussion, it is plausible to conclude that, police officers should be restricted from striking owing to the essential services they provide to the public. Security is the core function for the existence of the government, and thus it cannot allow these officers to be the ones posing a danger to it. I thus support thus restrictions.

Work Cited

Bean, Ron. “Police unrest, unionization and the 1919 strike in Liverpool.” Journal of

Contemporary History 15.4 (1980): 633-653.

Brecher, Jeremy. Strike!. PM Press, 2014.