no-strike
UK[ˈnəʊ ˌstraɪk]US[ˈnoʊ ˌstraɪk]
adj
Relating to or being an agreement, pledge, or condition in which workers or a union promise not to engage in a strike.
n
A period or situation in which strikes do not occur, often due to such an agreement.
Morpheme Breakdown
no
strike
no
negation
strike
work stoppage
Etymology
The compound 'no-strike' is a modern, transparent formation in English, directly combining the native negative 'no' with the action 'strike'. The word 'strike' itself has a long journey, originating from the Proto-Germanic 'strīkaną', meaning "to stroke, rub, go". Its evolution into the labor action sense is a semantic shift from the physical act of pulling down or removing (like striking a sail or a tent) to the metaphorical act of withdrawing labor. Therefore, 'no-strike' literally and logically denotes the "absence of a work stoppage," a concept central to industrial relations agreements aimed at ensuring labor peace.
Analysis
Structure: no (negation) + strike (work stoppage)
no: From Old English 'nā', a compound of 'ne' (not) and 'ā' (ever). A negative particle used to express negation or absence.
strike: From Old English 'strīcan' (to go, move, stroke). Its specific meaning of "to cease work in protest" developed in the 18th century from the sense of "to lower or take down" (as in strike sails), implying a stoppage of activity.
Examples
The union entered a no-strike clause in the new three-year contract.
During the no-strike period, all disputes were referred to binding arbitration.
The agreement was praised for its innovative no-strike, no-lockout provision.