Ancient Roman commoners went on strike by evacuating their cities, leaving the upper classes hopelessly fending for themselves. Secessio plebis (secession of the plebeians) is similar to a general strike but proved much more effective as the upper classes almost entirely relied upon the working classes. Pretty much everything in the city would close down, which proved to be incredibly effective at having the peasants’ demands met. Maybe this is something that we should try again in modern times.