picket
noun [ C ]
HR, WORKPLACE uk/ˈpɪkɪt/ us (also picket line)
a group of people who stand outside an organization's building holding signs to protest against something. The people who protest are often employees who disagree with the management:
The rail union is planning a 150-person picket of the terminal for two days next week.
The new government was determined to avoid a return to the old days of industrial action and mass picket lines.
Most union members were reluctant to cross the picket line.
stand on/walk the picket line We spent two weeks walking the picket line, trying to get better benefits.
Workers staged a picket outside the factory gates.
Workers picked up their picket signs and began their protest.
Compare
strike noun
UK
a single person in a picket line:
Police escorts were provided for tanker drivers who had experienced intimidation by pickets.
Compare
picketer
See also
flying picket
picket
verb [ I or T ]
HR, WORKPLACE ukusto show an organization that you are not satisfied with them by standing outside their building and trying to prevent people from entering and doing business with them :
The firm's annual general meeting was picketed by union members angry at the decision to cut jobs.
The group has decided not to picket until after the talks.
Compare
strike verb
picketing
noun [ U ] uk/ˈpɪkɪtɪŋ/ us/-ṱɪŋ/
The proposed new law would ban picketing.
See also
secondary picketing