SociologySocial Change and Development in India: Change and Development in industrial Society

What is it called when the management shuts the gate of a factory and…

What is it called when the management shuts the gate of a factory and prevents workers from coming?

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Lockout

Option (1) Layoff — Incorrect. A layoff is when an employer stops giving work to some workers for a time, usually for lack of work. It is about a shortage of work, and the factory gate stays open.

Option (2) Retrenchment — Incorrect. Retrenchment is when an employer ends the jobs of surplus workers for good. It is a permanent loss of jobs, with no shutting of the gate.

Option (3) Lockout — Correct. In a lockout, the management shuts the factory gate and prevents workers from coming. It is the management's move against the workers.

Option (4) Strike — Incorrect. A strike is the workers' own action: they refuse to go to work, often against harsh working conditions. In the question the management keeps the workers out, so the act comes from the other side.

NCERT (2026-27): “5.7 Strikes and unions
In response to harsh working conditions, sometimes workers went on strike. In a strike, workers do not go to work. In a lockout, the management shuts the gate and prevents workers from coming. To call a strike is a difficult decision as managers may try to use substitute labour. Workers also find it hard to sustain themselves without wages.”