STRIKE

in geology, direction of the line formed by the intersection of a fault, bed, or other planar feature and a horizontal plane. Strike indicates the attitude or position of linear structural features such as faults, beds, joints, and folds. Trend is the direction of the line formed by the intersection of the planar feature with the ground surface; trend is the same as strike only if the ground surface is parallel to the horizontal plane. Dip is the angle at which a planar feature is inclined to the horizontal plane; it is measured in a vertical plane perpendicular to the strike of the feature. Plunge is the vertical angle between the horizontal plane and the axis or line of maximum elongation of a feature. Plunge is measured along the axis of a fold, whereas dip is measured along the limbs. Pitch is the angle between the axis of the feature and the strike of the plane containing the axis. collective refusal by employees to work under the conditions required by employers. Strikes arise for a number of reasons: from disputes about wages and the conditions of employment; in sympathy with other striking workers; from jurisdictional disputes between two unions; or for purely political goals (as in the general strike; q.v.). Strikes not authorized by the central union body (wildcat strikes) may be directed against the union leadership as well as the employer. The right to strike is granted in principle to workers in nearly all industrial countries, although some require a series of specified efforts at settlement preceding the strike and others forbid purely political strikes and strikes by public employees. The types and purposes of strikes and their frequency depend on a great variety of factors, including a country's political system, its history, and the role of the trade unions. Most strikes and threats of strikes are intended to inflict a cost on the employer for failure to meet specific wage and other demands of the union. Among Japanese unions, on the other hand, strikes are not intended to halt production for long periods of time and are more akin to demonstrations. Occasionally, as in some western European countries, strikes have been politically motivated, stemming from a general class consciousness among the workers. In countries ruled by governments with a strong Socialist orientation, strikes may be directed against the governments and their policies.