Going on strike

In this 2021 article in The Guardian, Emma Beddington makes the case for going on strike as route to addressing domestic inequality.

We have some sympathies. In the book, we argue that it can be really important for one partner to stop doing the things they usually do, even if that means, say, the house gets messy and they hardly stand it.

If you are the person, Player #1 say, who likes things tidier, then it can be unbelievable painful to let the mess accumulate. Going on strike might make you suffer more than it does Player #2. Rather than strike action, though, which feels very combinative, we suggest jointly agreed experiments. So Player #1 agrees to stop doing the tidying for a week and Player #2 agrees to take it on, but to do so in their own way and pace. At the end of the week, the two of you can meet and review. What was it like for each of you?

As the tidier partner, Player #1, can you bear a little more mess? As the less tidy partner, Player #2, do you now see how much work is involved in keeping the place tidy and are you, err, clearer, that it's not done by fairies? It's often the case that Player #2 can tolerate a lot more mess, but even they will have their limits. If Player #1 always "gives in" and takes over tidying before that limit is reach, then Player #2's tolerance is never really tested.