‘Work-to-rule’ defined

THE FREEELANCE has been casting around for a snappy definition of a ‘work-to-rule’ - a form of industrial action short of a complete withdrawal of labour. We formed a suspicion that there might be readers who had not encountered the term.

So we are grateful to the editor and workers of the NT News from Darwin, NT, Australia, for this:

Photo posted by sylviajeffreys (©) of NT News page; fair dealing for the purpose of reporting news and current affairs asserted.

In place of a story, we see:

This story did not get published because the journalist hadn't finished it at 5.30pm and went home as per their contract agreement - editor

We have no evidence there was an industrial dispute. But the principle is neatly illustrated. Often, journalists will go the extra kilometre (unless we have a child to collect from playgroup, or something). Under a work-to-rule: not a millimetre.

Now we just have to make up our minds whether work-to-rule is always hyphenated.

© Mike Holderness

Chapel chapter and verse more terminology

• 7 November 2021 We updated the page design