A strike when everyone works according to instructions. Italian strike in Russian. Excerpt characterizing the Italian strike

Italian strike- this 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 decrease sharply, or even completely. manufacturing process stops.

Italian strike rules

• Strict compliance by employees with internal rules 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 the employee does not have the funds specified in the rules personal protection stop work with a warning to management about the start of downtime
• Perform only the work specified in the job description
• Refuse to work on weekends and holidays and from overtime work

The most important feature of the Italian strike is the inability of the administration to punish its participants in any way

Italian strike. Start

By different sources(including Wikipedia) this kind of protest action was first carried out 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

New York police officers resorted to a similar protest in January 2015. In connection with the long-term conflict between the police and the mayor's office, or more precisely the police with New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, and after the murder of two police officers in Brooklyn, law enforcement officers decided to carry out all their duties strictly according to the rules.
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.

systems business expert

When soldiers are in mortal danger, they fear nothing; when they have no way out, they hold on tight; when they go deep into enemy land, nothing holds them back; when nothing can be done, they fight

Sun Tzu

to whom: owners, top managers

Why many managers are afraid of the “Italian strike” and “detailed rules”

“Italian strike”- a situation when an employee begins to approach his work from a purely formal point of view, i.e. work according to the rules without any attempt to communicate the emerging risks of their application, even when he clearly understands that his actions harm the company.

In some examples of business literature, examples of “Italian strikes” are used as “horror stories”, the main premises of which are: “Don’t do something as “useless” as developing corporate rules and standards, but put all your efforts into building “human” relationships in the company, because employees, if desired, can easily turn all your rules into a roll of toilet paper.”.

It can be scary for a manager to even imagine what will happen if an “Italian strike” starts in his company. You can’t describe everything in the rules! However, it turns out that creating a clear system of rules and regulations scares not only managers, but also employees.

Managers' fears of rules

From time to time I hear from top managers the following argument against introducing a system of regulations in the company: “Employees will have the opportunity to justify their negative results with the words “we were just following the rule, what is the demand from us?”, or “we don’t have such a rule, so I didn’t do it.”.

Indeed, if there are clearly formalized rules that the employee strictly adheres to, it is difficult for the manager to present his favorite argument: . After all, formally the employee acted in accordance with the rule, which means what demand could there be from him? So, are the rules really just harmful?

Many managers have a favorite argument: “Why didn’t you use your head?”

Let's imagine a model where there is no system of rules, and the manager, faced with a negative result from the work of a subordinate, uses a question-argument: "why didn't you turn your head on?".

What result can be achieved with this argument? At best, you can get an oath from a subordinate that next time he will definitely “use his head.” But next time the situation may repeat itself due to the fact that the manager and subordinate have completely different presentation about how and when to “turn on your head.” And why? There is no formalized system of rules.

So the absence of rules is still not a solution to the situation. But what to do if clear rules provide breeding ground for a potential “Italian strike”?

Employees' fears of rules

A conscientious employee may have his own fear in relation to clearly formulated rules. He fears that he will have to constantly solve problems in an ineffective way just because the instructions say so. This means “catching negativity” from clients, constantly “raking up” and solving the same problems, etc.

Why do conscientious employees there is no reason to worry due to the presence of clearly formulated rules, you will understand when you read the technology for preventing and eliminating the “Italian strike”.

Italian strike: options, signs, goals of strikers

Before fighting the “Italian strike,” it is advisable to first identify it. Or at least see signs of it.

If you know the goals of the striker, then for negative goals you can show the employee that they are unattainable, for positive ones you can indicate alternative ways their achievements.

I will voice the risks especially for managers who still think of the “Italian strike” as a harmless game of cat and mouse.

The main signs of the "Italian strike"

• An employee works strictly according to the rules, but distortions and damage to the company occur. Actions according to instructions lead to negative results, and the employee does not seem to notice this.
• When you ask an employee "why didn't you tell me that following the rule could lead to such consequences?", you hear in response: "I didn't know what to say" or "I didn't know what might lead".

Goals of the “strikers” in the “Italian strike”

• Stay in the comfort zone, avoid work on improving processes, which requires significant mental activity, although it is creative (and therefore, as some books claim, and with which I categorically disagree, it is capable of “motivating everyone with the mere fact of its existence”).
• Gain more freedom of action, reduce personal responsibility by blurring the rules and proving that “rules do more harm than good.”
• Convey your dissatisfaction to your manager (tell him your “fuck” in this way).
• There is no goal. In this case, the “Italian strike” is a consequence of the employee’s low qualifications or lack of understanding of how he should act if there is a risk of damage to the company from compliance with the rules.

Risks of an “Italian strike”

• Damages, both material and reputational (the client may be the victim); both direct and indirect. Message: “I’m fine with bribes because I followed the rules, and the consequences for the company are not my problem.”.
• Discrediting the rules and regulations as such. Message: “They only prevent us from doing good work!”
• Spreading the “infection” to other employees, reducing their productivity and efficiency. Message: “You can’t undermine us, we follow all the rules!”

A shortened video version of the article about the Italian strike

For those who like to listen and watch more than read

A shortened video version of the article “Italian strike by an employee: how to recognize it, defeat it and prevent it in the future” for those who like to listen and watch more :-)

Technology to end the “Italian strike”

An "Italian strike", depending on the goals pursued, can be:

• Unintentional. The employee wants the best, but does not know what to do or does not know how.
• Deliberate. I think no explanation is required here.

The deliberate “Italian strike” is divided into additional categories, depending on the number of participants in it:

• Mass character.How to negotiate with trade unions or act in case of mass organized strikes- perhaps a topic for a separate article. If you are faced with this situation in your company, it means that there are large imbalances in your management system. Think about liquidating them, the article “ ” will help (first resolving the issue with the “strike”, of course). If we are talking about a large but poorly organized group, then the action scenario described for a small group of people will help you.
• Small group of people, as a rule, is headed by an informal leader. One option for you is to use the “expand the hard zone” tactic. That is, first, “roll according to the algorithm” those who are more disciplined and would rather join the “strikers” in order to support the team, and also take on those who are least valuable to the company (they can be fired). It is necessary to talk individually (never conduct collective negotiations) with everyone, in a one-on-one format. Here technology comes down to an algorithm of actions in relation to an individual employee.
• Individual employee. Technology of conversation with individual employee you will find below in the article.

Please note that the “Italian strike” can be very difficult to detect, because “doing it according to the rules with negative consequences” can not be the whole job, but only the part where it is especially “stressful” or “you don’t want to think.”

Don't panic. To use the algorithm below, even a one-time event (fact) is sufficient, so “public statements” or “continuous actions on the part of the employee” are not required. Moreover, when analyzing the situation using the algorithm, you may not use the phrase “Italian strike” at all.

But rest assured, you must respond to the “first bells” immediately. Otherwise, one-off incidents will very quickly become a trend and a rule of behavior not only for the instigators, but also for the majority of employees. And fighting this will require much more effort than if the entire wormhole is “uprooted” at once.

A step-by-step algorithm for a manager’s actions to stop and prevent the “Italian strike”

The manager needs to prepare for the meeting with the employee. Record all the facts in advance. “” will help you prepare well

Discuss with the employee one-on-one a specific situation that is similar to the “Italian strike” (following the rules without, at a minimum, informing the superior manager about the emerging risks).

It is necessary to fit the employee’s actions into the final range of options, and then for each of them “extend his picture of the world into the future” (the “split the obstacle into components and deal with each part separately” technique). Tell what awaits the subordinate in the future if the situation repeats.

Possible reasons for an employee’s actions during the “Italian strike”:

1. Lack of understanding of what and how to do if the action he performs according to instructions leads to risks or negative consequences for the company.
2. Professional incompetence.
3. Sabotage.
4. Laziness.

Here the manager’s task is to personify the employee’s responsibility in each of the options and clearly indicate the consequences for each item. I propose to do this using a combination of Chinese stratagems “show the enemy the way to life” And “place the soldiers in the area of ​​death”.

“Show the way to life”. When initially applying the algorithm for ending the “Italian strike,” the employee does not need to be accused of anything - simply “announce the entire list” and let him use the first option under the “didn’t know” section for the first time. In addition, this will deprive him of the “right to ignorance” in the future.

“Place in death area”. Anyone who is deprived of the “right to ignorance” can no longer take advantage of the option “sorry, I didn’t know”. This means that the reasons for his actions in the future can only be options from the second to the fourth, a relapse into which is a direct road to dismissal from the company.

It is necessary to personify the employee’s responsibility and indicate the consequences

Thus, we show the employee that the method he has chosen to influence the manager in the form of an “Italian strike” will not help achieve his goals (remember, we discussed them at the beginning of the article?), but will lead to serious negative consequences (this is the “terrain of death” in our case).

Of course, it is better to act preventively, without waiting for the “Italian strike” to begin, that is, to deprive the “right to ignorance” in advance (follow the steps from Option No. 1 in advance). But... Let's be realistic. Many managers wait “until the roast rooster pecks” and only then jump into solving problems.

So, at a meeting with an employee, the manager announces to the employee a “range of options” and discusses in detail the essence and consequences of each option.

Option #1. The employee really does not understand or does not know how he could and should have acted

We have an option Not deliberate “Italian strike”. To eliminate this option in the future, it is necessary to eliminate the cause. How to do it:

1. “Synchronize” with the employee views on both general principles and principles of action in similar situations

• Formalize the general principles of the company's work(for example: “We do not perform useless work for clients. In the case when a client insists on a specific work, we are obliged to inform him in writing why this work will not bring results and offer an alternative”) and principles of work when various situations(both negative and positive) + evaluate how employees’ actions comply with general principles.
• Create a priority table both general and for specific employees. The table should contain the following columns: name of the task group, priority value (the lower, the higher), comments and examples of typical tasks for this priority. For example, for a customer service manager, the priority for the tasks of the group “processing applications from existing clients” will be higher than “searching for new clients.” For each position, it would be appropriate to add the highest priority to the tasks of the “Force Majeure” group. Be sure to provide examples (for example: the client calls and demands that the work be completed immediately, otherwise he threatens to send a request for a refund).
• Draw up and approve detailed regulations for performing standard tasks(here there is definitely 100% synchronization, unless of course the company has a culture of following rules) + additional principles based on which you need to act in situations not provided for in the instructions.
• Conduct regular team (or department) meetings, on which to analyze achievements and mistakes in an impersonal form. Explain why it is necessary to act this way and what principles to focus on. Based on the results, create a database of training examples. Plan testing to see how people will act in similar situations in the future.

2. Train the employee or provide additional training

If the manager allowed an untrained employee to work, then all that remains is to ask questions about the reasons for the losses to yourself (or hear this question from a superior manager).

However, the mistake can and should be corrected with the help of training, if the employee succumbs to it. It is better to do this by temporarily removing the subordinate from performing similar work, or by placing specific processes/actions under strict control.

3. Give the employee authority

Granting authority relieves the manager from extensive approval of every risk that an employee may discover while acting strictly according to regulations or instructions. Remember that along with the powers it is necessary to give basic guidelines (principles) and examples (samples) of their application ( for example, make decisions independently when the issue is within the budget of 10 thousand rubles. Naturally, based on previously agreed upon principles!).

One more example. The employee could not independently decide whether a bonus was provided to the client or not, because the list of possible bonuses and basic principles their provision was not thought out in advance at the level of sales standards.

4. Draw up regulations for the “development of processes and instructions”

Familiarize the employee with the regulations against signature, and also ask them to make their proposals to the regulations.

Option #2. Professional unsuitability of the employee

The manager needs to analyze whether the professional area employee actions regarded as manifestations of the “Italian strike”.

For example, a manager who works with clients understands that a certain action that he plans to do according to instructions will cause negativity in the client. However, the manager carries out the action without any attempt to prevent possible negative consequences or to communicate the risks to his supervisor.

Seeing negative consequences in the described situation is certainly part of professional competence any employee who works directly with clients (we are talking about managing expectations and relationships).

Well, okay, the employee is professionally unsuitable. What to do next? At the beginning review job responsibilities (and maybe the position itself) and monetary remuneration employee.

Level professional suitability employee should be directly reflected in his income

Professional unsuitability may be due to two reasons: “lack of knowledge and experience” or “lack of opportunity.”

The employee’s “lack of knowledge and experience” was discussed in detail in Option No. 1. In the case of “lack of opportunity” (“wants, but cannot”), all that remains is to train and, if the person cannot be trained, transfer to another position or say goodbye.

Option #3. Sabotage

By sabotage within the framework of the “Italian strike” I mean when an employee deliberately causes harm and damage to the company, while hiding behind existing rules and regulations.

It makes sense for a manager to try identify the cause of sabotage(the willingness to listen and the ability to ask leading questions will help here) and use the already familiar technique of “splitting the obstacle.”

The first component of the obstacle- the reason given by the employee. It needs to be taken for a separate analysis and thought through: is it possible to organize the process so that next time this issue is brought to the attention of the manager in a different way.

For example: The employee said he was unfairly withheld from bonuses. The manager understands this situation and subsequently establishes a rule: “if an employee does not agree with the remuneration paid and cannot agree on this issue with his immediate supervisor, he has the right to appeal to a superior.” To prevent an employee from abusing his right, each such case is considered as a management situation.

Option number 4. Laziness

Indeed, changes and improvements, as well as the search for shortcomings and opportunities for improving technologies and standards, require additional mental effort. Many people find it much easier to “go with the flow” and “not stress too much.” In this case, they think like this: “If anything happens, I’ll hide behind instructions on why I need to change anything!”

Your company should have a very clear message to lazy people: “if you are lazy, then first you will lose part of your monetary reward and become a “candidate for relegation.” If you don’t improve, the company says goodbye to you.”

Conclusion, or “Which reason do you want to choose next time?”

As a result, the employee you suspect of the “Italian strike” is left with four possible excuses.

The first is a lack of understanding of what and how to do when the action he performs according to instructions leads to risks or negative consequences for the company. It is eliminated by “deprivation of the right to ignorance.”

The rest - from 2) to 4) - come down to very unpleasant consequences for the employee. It is unlikely that he will want to talk again (unless, of course, he plans to continue working in your company). And if this does happen, then his choice of justifications for his actions is reduced to three options: “Professional unsuitability,” “Sabotage,” and “Laziness.”

the choice of possible reasons for an employee’s actions is reduced to three: “Professional unsuitability”, “Sabotage” and “Laziness”

After a one-time analysis of a situation in which an employee was “hiding behind the rules,” the final question works very well (recording the reception): “Which of these reasons do you want to choose next time?”

The employee will have a choice: if he wants to continue working in your company, he will have to learn to see risks and opportunities, and not “hide behind regulations.” This means developing and improving your skills, becoming a first-class specialist. Thereby developing the company.

Publication date: 09.11.2010

Italian strike- also called obstruction- a form of protest along with strike And sabotage, which consists in the extremely strict fulfillment by employees of the enterprise of 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 job descriptions and the inability to take into account all the nuances production activities, this form of protest leads to a significant decline in productivity and, accordingly, to large losses for the enterprise. 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 the Labor Code.

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.

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 reports, 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. According to other sources, the Italian police were the first to use the Italian strike. One of the sites reports that the first such strike actually occurred in Italy in 1904 with railway workers.

In Russia, the term “Italian strike” has been known at least since the beginning of the 20th century. For example, the newspaper “Russkoe Slovo” in its issue dated July 22 (09), 1907, reports:

On St. Petersburg-Warsaw railway an “Italian” strike is carried out, consisting of strict compliance
instructions during maneuvers, due to which trains are late and many are cancelled.

IN modern Russia such a strike took place at a Ford plant near St. Petersburg

An Italian strike is also sometimes (inaccurately) referred to as a refusal to leave work despite an employer's order.

The combination of this form of protest - one hundred percent compliance with all norms prescribed in instructions and laws - with a small go canny(Scottish working slang for DO NOT RUSH) is quite enough for production to stop.

For this, the site reports izhevsk.avtonom.org(Russia), you need to obtain instructions in advance, which are usually kept by the foreman and in the safety department. Find situations in them, adhering to which, the work will slow down and strictly implement them, referring to the texts in these instructions. If strikebreakers violate instructions, it is necessary to write reports demanding that the violator be punished. Such instructions sometimes contain very comical rules. For example, there is a rule that workers of electrical safety group II must work only in boots without nails. There are so many of these instructions that just reading them all would take a lot of time.

Usually, during scheduled briefings, employees sign pieces of paper stating that they are familiar with the instructions without reading them. If you just start reading them (what employees are obliged to do), it will take up a lot of working time, which the employer is obliged to pay. The employer has no right to oblige you to sign without familiarizing yourself with the instructions. And he is obliged to obtain such a signature, since the instructions and local regulations of the organization do not apply to the employee if the employee is not familiar with them. Strikebreakers who refuse this familiarization (by signing, without reading), must write reports in case they violate the instructions.

IN Labor Code The Russian Federation needs to know about this method of sabotage, for example:

Article 4. Prohibition of forced labor
Forced labor is prohibited.
Forced labor includes:
the employer's requirement that the employee perform labor duties if the employee is not provided with collective or individual protective equipment or the work threatens the life or health of the employee.

Article 21. Basic rights and responsibilities of an employee
The employee has the right to:

• providing him with work due to employment contract;

A workplace that meets the conditions provided for state standards organization and labor safety and collective agreement;
complete reliable information about working conditions and labor protection requirements in the workplace;
The employee is obliged:
fulfill your duties conscientiously job responsibilities assigned to him by the employment contract;

• comply with labor protection and occupational safety requirements;
• treat the property of the employer and other employees with care;

Immediately inform the employer or immediate supervisor about the occurrence of a situation that poses a threat to the life and health of people, the safety of the employer’s property.

The last point of the employee’s duties is very comical.
Imagine a situation that every morning begins with a crowd of all employees of the enterprise coming to the boss with written messages about equipment malfunctions (oil is dripping or a nut is unscrewed). But the employee is simply obliged to do this action by law, since if he does not report a malfunction in advance, then in the event of a breakdown it will be him who will be punished. Moreover, he must provide evidence that he performed this action (notified). Therefore, he must have a copy of the boss’s resolution to receive this notification. You can imagine how widespread this action will be when all employees begin to write and hand in signatures for each occasion regarding equipment malfunctions.

Article 22. Basic rights and obligations of an employer
The employer is obliged:
comply with laws and other regulatory legal acts, local regulations, terms of the collective agreement, agreements and employment contracts;

• provide employees with work stipulated by the employment contract;

Ensure labor safety and conditions that meet occupational safety and health requirements;
provide employees with equipment, tools, technical documentation and other means necessary to perform their job duties;
provide for the everyday needs of employees related to the performance of their job duties;
perform other duties provided for by this Code, federal laws and other regulatory legal acts containing norms labor law, collective agreement, agreements and employment contracts.

Article 56. The concept of an employment contract. Parties to the employment contract
An employment contract is an agreement between an employer and an employee, according to which the employer undertakes to provide the employee with work for a specified labor function, to ensure working conditions provided for by this Code, laws and other regulatory legal acts, a collective agreement, agreements, local regulations containing labor standards the right to pay the employee on time and in full wages, and the employee undertakes to personally perform the labor function determined by this agreement and comply with the internal labor regulations in force in the organization.
The parties to the employment contract are the employer and the employee.

Article 60. Prohibition to demand performance of work not stipulated by the employment contract
It is prohibited to require an employee to perform work not stipulated by an employment contract, except for cases provided for by this Code and other federal laws.

Article 212. Responsibilities of the employer to ensure safe conditions and labor protection
Responsibilities for ensuring safe conditions and labor protection in the organization rest with the employer.
The employer is obliged to provide:
safety of workers during the operation of buildings, structures, equipment, implementation technological processes, as well as tools, raw materials and supplies used in production;

• use of personal and collective protective equipment for workers;

Working conditions at each workplace that meet labor safety requirements;
purchase and issue at the expense of own funds special clothing, special shoes and other personal protective equipment, flushing and neutralizing agents in accordance with established standards for workers engaged in work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, as well as in work performed in special temperature conditions or associated with pollution;
organizing control over the state of working conditions in the workplace, as well as over the correct use of personal and collective protective equipment by employees;
carrying out certification of workplaces according to working conditions with subsequent certification of work on labor protection in the organization;
informing workers about labor conditions and safety in the workplace, about the existing risk of damage to health and the compensation and personal protective equipment they are entitled to;
taking measures to prevent emergency situations, preserving the life and health of workers in the event of such situations, including providing first aid to victims;
familiarization of workers with labor protection requirements;

Article 214. Responsibilities of an employee in the field of labor protection
The employee is obliged:
comply with labor protection requirements established by laws and other regulatory legal acts, as well as rules and instructions on labor protection;

• correctly use personal and collective protective equipment;

Undergo training in safe methods and techniques for performing work on labor protection, providing first aid in case of accidents at work, instruction in labor protection, on-the-job training, testing of knowledge of labor protection requirements;
immediately notify your immediate or superior manager about any situation that threatens the life and health of people, about every accident that occurs at work, or about a deterioration in your health, including the manifestation of signs of an acute occupational disease (poisoning);

Article 219. The employee’s right to work that meets safety and hygiene requirements
Every employee has the right to:

• workplace, meeting labor protection requirements;

Obtaining reliable information from the employer, relevant government agencies And public organizations about labor conditions and safety in the workplace, about the existing risk of damage to health, as well as about measures to protect against exposure to harmful and (or) dangerous production factors;
refusal to perform work in the event of a danger to his life and health due to violation of labor protection requirements, with the exception of cases provided for by federal laws, until such danger is eliminated;
provision of personal and collective protective equipment in accordance with labor protection requirements at the expense of the employer;
a request for an inspection of labor conditions and labor protection at his workplace by federal executive authorities in the field of state supervision and control over compliance with labor and labor protection legislation, employees carrying out state examination of working conditions, as well as trade union bodies monitoring compliance with labor and labor legislation labor protection;
appeal to government authorities Russian Federation, government bodies of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and bodies local government, to the employer, to associations of employers, as well as to trade unions, their associations and other representative bodies authorized by employees on labor protection issues;

Article 220. Guarantees of workers' right to work in conditions that meet labor protection requirements
The state guarantees workers the protection of their right to work in conditions that meet labor protection requirements.
The working conditions provided for in the employment contract must comply with labor protection requirements.

During the suspension of work in connection with the suspension of activities or a temporary ban on activities due to violation of labor protection requirements through no fault of the employee, his place of work (position) and average earnings are retained. During this time, the employee, with his consent, can be transferred by the employer to another job with wages for the work performed, but not lower than the average earnings for the previous job.
If an employee refuses to perform work in the event of a danger to his life and health, with the exception of cases provided for in part three of this article and other federal laws, the employer is obliged to provide the employee with another job while such danger is eliminated.

If providing another job for objective reasons is impossible for an employee, the employee’s downtime until the danger to his life and health is eliminated is paid by the employer in accordance with this Code and other federal laws.
If the employee is not provided with personal and collective protective equipment in accordance with established standards, the employer does not have the right to require the employee to perform work duties and is obliged to pay for downtime arising for this reason in accordance with this Code.

An employee’s refusal to perform work in the event of a danger to his life and health due to violation of labor protection requirements or from performing heavy work and work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions not provided for in the employment contract does not entail bringing him to disciplinary liability .

Article 221. Providing workers with personal protective equipment
For work with harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions, as well as for work performed in special temperature conditions or associated with pollution, workers are provided with certified personal protective equipment, flushing and neutralizing agents in accordance with the standards approved in the manner established by the Government of the Russian Federation. Federation.
The acquisition, storage, washing, cleaning, repair, disinfection and disposal of personal protective equipment for workers is carried out at the expense of the employer.
The employer is obliged to ensure the storage, washing, drying, disinfection, degassing, decontamination and repair of special clothing, special footwear and other personal protective equipment issued to employees in accordance with established standards.

Interestingly, despite the fact that any work process is regulated by a whole bunch of documents and instructions. Their strict adherence by all employees, oddly enough, leads to huge economic losses for the company as a whole. And “working according to the rules,” that is, purposeful compliance with the code and instructions by enterprise employees is usually called Italian strike.

A regular strike is a cessation of work by employees of an enterprise in order to fulfill their demands by the employer. That is, in essence, this is ordinary blackmail. The difference between the Italian strike is that it implies strict compliance by the organization’s employees with all job descriptions and rules, without violating them in absolutely anything. This, coupled with the bureaucratic nature of job descriptions and the inability to take into account all the nuances of production activities, leads to a significant decline in productivity and leads to losses for the enterprise.

The term “Italian strike” began to be used after 1904, when in Italy (according to various sources) policemen, railway workers or airline employees, in order to achieve an increase in wages, began to perform work strictly according to instructions, thereby causing disruptions in a well-functioning system.

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.”

More than a century has passed since then, and this form of protest is still used by employees of enterprises to fight against company management. Wherein Italian strike- Very effective method impact on the employer. It is difficult to combat it 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 the Labor Code.

How to conduct an Italian strike?

1. Follow the internal labor regulations exactly.

2. Require actual safety training where it is provided, and not just sign in the logbook about familiarization.

3. Strictly comply with established labor standards, 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 report this to the employer. If due to the lack of this equipment, tools, technical documentation, etc. it is impossible for the employee to perform his job duties, it is also necessary to notify the employer of the beginning of downtime due to the fault of the employer.

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.

6. If the instructions indicate 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 and overtime (Article 99 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation). In this case, it is necessary to remember that inviting an employee to work on weekends and holidays overtime work without his consent is possible only in cases specified by law.

Compliance with these rules will not give the employer the opportunity to bring you to disciplinary liability, since everything is done according to the law.

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 about the start of work according to the rules and notify this decision employer.

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):

1. Strictly comply with the internal labor regulations (hereinafter - PVTR, paragraph 2, part 2, article 21 of the Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

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 demand that the employee perform labor duties and apply any disciplinary action to an 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.