lockout
lockout — noun
- lockoutsingular
- lockoutsplural
1. a situation in a labour dispute where an employer closes the workplace and will
a situation in a labour dispute where an employer closes the workplace and will not let workers return unless management's proposed conditions are accepted.
The factory owner announced a lockout after union members voted to reject the wage offer.
collocation: announce a lockout
A prolonged lockout can destroy the trust between a company and its workforce.
A lockout harms trust more than bargaining at the table ever does.
Talks broke down, and management imposed a lockout that kept hundreds off the line.
- work stoppage
Broader term that covers both lockouts and strikes; less specific.
- shutdown
Less formal and less specific; can refer to any temporary closing, not just labour disputes.
- employer lockout
Redundant but sometimes used for emphasis in news headlines.
- strike
A work stoppage initiated by workers, not by the employer — opposite direction of action.
用法筆記
Distinguish from strike: a lockout is initiated by the employer, whereas a strike is a work stoppage initiated by the employees. The two are often contrasted in news coverage of labour disputes.
常見錯誤
lockout — verb
- lockoutpresent simple I / you / we / they
- lockouts3rd person singular
- lockouting-ing form
- lockoutedpast simple
1. to prevent employees from entering their workplace during a labour dispute, typi
to prevent employees from entering their workplace during a labour dispute, typically by closing the premises so that work cannot continue.
The entire night shift was locked out after the union refused the company's final offer.
passive: be + locked out
When the factory owners locked out their employees, the local economy felt the effects.
The hospital administration threatened to lock out the nursing staff if no contract deal was reached by midnight.
More than two hundred dockworkers were locked out when talks between the port authority and the union broke down.
A bus company that locked out its drivers for six weeks faced a public backlash.
文法句型
be locked out
lock out + noun phrase
用法筆記
Frequently appears in passive constructions (workers were locked out) because the focus is typically on the workers who are affected. The active form (the company locked out its employees) is possible but less common. Not used with a that-clause or infinitive complement.