Reporting Sick (“Sick-In”)
Where strikes are forbidden by or are not feasible for other reasons, workers can achieve the same goals, ranging from a reduction in production to the equivalent of a real strike, by agreeing to call in sick.
In early 2001, Omanis staged a series of nonviolent actions, advocating for both a new, more democratic government and specific economic reforms. During one of these actions, workers at Oman Air staged a strike in which they refused to work—either by coming to the office but not working, or by calling in sick.
(You can read more about the different methods of nonviolent protest in Gene Sharp’s book The Politics of Nonviolent Action. Access CSA’s catalogue of Sharp’s methods here, or download the full list of 198 methods here.)
