Ancient Egyptian workers went on the first recorded labor strike
History
In the 12th century BCE, royal tomb builders in Ancient Egypt laid down their tools to protest delayed grain rations, marking the earliest documented labor strike in human history.
During the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III around 1159 BCE, skilled artisans at Deir el-Medina walked off the job because their monthly grain payments were eighteen days late. These workers, who were constructing the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, marched to nearby mortuary temples and shouted "We are hungry" to demand their rightful wages.