Operation: Will of Steel

Operation: Will of Steel was a workers' strike movement organised by Metal Workers Union against the Stalburg Steel management.

Background

Stalburg Steel was originally owned by Mikhail Rosenthal, in 1981 majority of it was acquired by Jeff Walter under the guise of S.N.W in order to purpusely bankrupt the company, on which the Stalburg's economy and various production chains were dependent on, and utilise the potential civil unrest to put Stalburg under martial law. After acquisition the new leadership of the company started cutting workers' pay, pushing for longer workhours and reducing worksite safety measures, making it more dangerous. Eventually, blaming the poor economical situation of the company, the management started co-determination procedure to begin laying-off workers, which pushed the union into planning a strike against the company.

Strike

The strike was initially planned for the 13th of October, 1981 just before the beginning of lunch hour, a day on which majority of the management was away from the factory for the important corporate meeting. According to Stalburg Times newspaper however, the strikes actually began in the morning of monday the 12th.

Prior to the beginning of the workers' lunch hour, to maximise the anger of the hungry workers, an Union Trustee took control over the announcement system to inform fellow co-workers of the situation and encourage them to strike, while other union activists among the workers were chanting the slogans of the strike at the same time.