In labor relations, what term refers to a work halt by employees to express grievances?

The term that refers to a work halt by employees to express grievances is a strike. Strikes are organized by workers, typically through their unions, to demand better working conditions, wages, or other employment-related issues. This collective action signifies a stop in work to bring attention to their concerns and exert pressure on employers to negotiate or address the grievances at hand. Strikes can vary in length and can be either planned or spontaneous, depending on the nature of the dispute.

Lockouts, on the other hand, occur when employers prevent workers from entering the workplace, often in anticipation of a strike or during contract disputes. Picketing involves employees demonstrating outside a workplace, usually during a strike, to raise awareness and garner public support but is not itself a work stoppage. The term "scab" refers to a worker who continues to work or takes the place of striking workers, further illustrating the dynamics at play in labor disputes, but it does not describe a work halt in response to grievances.