Noun (feminine)
/hwelɡa/
The word "huelga" refers to a concerted effort by workers to stop working in order to express grievances or demand changes, such as better wages or working conditions. It is commonly used in both legal and economic contexts, as strikes are often related to labor rights and negotiations between employees and employers.
The term is frequently used in both oral and written contexts, especially in discussions regarding labor rights, unions, and social justice movements. It tends to appear more often in formal discussions, articles, and news reports around labor issues.
Los trabajadores anunciaron una huelga para exigir mejores condiciones laborales.
The workers announced a strike to demand better working conditions.
La huelga general afectó todos los sectores de la economía.
The general strike affected all sectors of the economy.
Durante la huelga, los servicios públicos estuvieron paralizados.
During the strike, public services were paralyzed.
While "huelga" itself may not be directly linked with numerous idiomatic expressions, it can feature in phrases related to labor and activism. Here are a few examples:
Estar en huelga de hambre.
To be on a hunger strike.
Decidimos estar en huelga de hambre para llamar la atención sobre la injusticia.
(We decided to go on a hunger strike to draw attention to the injustice.)
Declarar una huelga.
To declare a strike.
Los sindicatos declararon una huelga por tiempo indefinido.
(The unions declared a strike indefinitely.)
Huelga de brazos caídos.
Strike of arms down.
El personal decidió realizar una huelga de brazos caídos hasta que se resuelva el conflicto.
(The staff decided to stage a strike of arms down until the conflict is resolved.)
Huelga salvaje.
Wildcat strike.
La huelga salvaje tomó a la gerencia por sorpresa.
(The wildcat strike took management by surprise.)
The word "huelga" is derived from the Latin word "quies," meaning rest or inactivity. The evolution of the term reflects the idea of ceasing work or activities as a form of protest. It has roots in the linguistic transformations of medieval Spanish.