work-to-ruleˌwork-to-ˈrule noun [singular] 
Examples
ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Because of their work-to-rule, teachers were no longer taking after-school clubs or supervising lunch hours.
- Some students had to do an extra year because of the staff work-to-rule.
Longman Language Activatorwhen workers are on strike► strike
a situation in which people in a particular job refuse to do any additional work as a protest → strike → work to rule at work1(32) · The offices were closed by a strike that lasted two months.miners'/teachers'/railworkers' etc strike · Since the miners' strike, thirty of the mines in the area have been closed.coal/rail/dock etc strike · The roads were a nightmare as commuters were hit by a rail strike.call a strike (=ask workers to strike) · When union bosses called a strike in protest over low pay, the response was overwhelming.call off a strike (=stop striking) · The administration has officially asked transportation workers to call off their strike.general strike (=when most workers in a country strike) · Following a general strike and calls for his resignation, the President was arrested on 26 March.strike action · Shipbuilders and dockers were solidly in favour of strike action in support of their claim.
► industrial action when a group of workers try to persuade their employer to improve pay or conditions, either by going on strike or by doing less work than they usually do: · Exactly what form the industrial action will take is not yet known.· Most of the workers are against industrial action, but are asking for talks with employers.take industrial action: · A survey of 2,000 federation members had shown that 48% believed police should have the right to take industrial action.
► work-to-rule when workers do only the amount of work they legally have to do and no more, as a protests against something: · Because of their work-to-rule, teachers were no longer taking after-school clubs or supervising lunch hours.
► stoppage British also work stoppage American when a group of workers stop working for a short time until their complaint, protest, or demand is dealt with: · Customs officers will return to work today after a twenty-four hour stoppage.· Railworkers in central Poland also joined the stoppage, cutting the link with the industrial south-west.· The plan is likely to be met with work stoppages and other labor disruptions.
► go-slow British when a group of workers deliberately work more slowly than usual as a way of protesting about low wages, bad working conditions etc: · The hospital seemed to be treating as many patients as possible before the go-slow came into effect.
WORD SETS► Labour Relations/UnionsAFL-CIO, the, black, verbblackleg, nounbrotherhood, nouncard vote, nounchapel, nounclosed shop, nouncollective bargaining, nounfeather bedding, nounflying picket, nounfree collective bargaining, noungeneral strike, noungo-slow, nounindustrial action, nounindustrial relations, nounindustrial tribunal, nounlabor union, nounlabour relations, nounlocal, nounnon-cooperation, nounnon-union, adjectiveorganize, verbout, adverbpicket, nounpicket, verbrestrictive practices, nounscab, nounshop steward, nounsick-out, nounstrikebreaker, nounstriker, nountrade union, noununion, noununionism, noununionize, verbwalkout, nounwildcat strike, nounwork-to-rule, noun