A work-in is a form of direct action

Direct action

Direct action is activity undertaken by individuals, groups, or governments to achieve political, economic, or social goals outside of normal social/political channels. This can include nonviolent and violent activities which target persons, groups, or property deemed offensive to the direct action...

, where a group of workers whose jobs are under threat resolve to remain in their place of employment and continue producing without pay. The intention is usually to show that their place of work still has long-term viability, or can be effectively self-managed by the workers

Workers' self-management

Worker self-management is a form of workplace decision-making in which the workers themselves agree on choices instead of an owner or traditional supervisor telling workers what to do, how to do it and where to do it...

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History

Historical examples of the work-in include:

• The Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
  Upper Clyde Shipbuilders
  Upper Clyde Shipbuilders was a British shipbuilding consortium created in 1968 as a result of the amalgamation of five major shipbuilders of the River Clyde in Scotland...
  
   work-in of 1971.
• The Harco Steel
  1971 Harco work-in
  The 1971 Harco work-in was an action undertaken by workers at a steel plant in Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia. The work-in was the culmination of a protracted industrial dispute between the owners of Harco Steel and the workers at the Campbelltown site...
  
  work-in of 1971.