▁it ▁really ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁with ▁the ▁meaning ▁of ▁" d eli ber ately ▁and ▁mal ici ously ▁destroy ing ▁property " ▁or ▁" working ▁slower ". ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁É mile ▁P ou get , ▁a ▁famous ▁synd ical ist ▁and ▁an arch ist ▁wrote ▁" action ▁de ▁sab oter ▁un ▁travail " ▁( action ▁of ▁sab ot aging ▁a ▁work ) ▁in ▁Le ▁P ère ▁Pe in ard ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁he ▁also ▁wrote ▁a ▁book ▁entitled ▁Le ▁Sab ot age . ▁ ▁As ▁industrial ▁action ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁in ception ▁of ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution , ▁sk illed ▁workers ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Lud d ites ▁( 1 8 1 1 – 1 8 1 2 ) ▁used ▁sab ot age ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁neg ot iation ▁in ▁labor ▁disput es . ▁ ▁Labor ▁un ions ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁( I W W ) ▁have ▁advoc ated ▁sab ot age ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁self - def ense ▁and ▁direct ▁action ▁against ▁unf air ▁working ▁conditions . ▁ ▁The ▁I W W ▁was ▁sh aped ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁the ▁industrial ▁union ism ▁philosophy ▁of ▁Big ▁Bill ▁Hay wood , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁Hay wood ▁was ▁exposed ▁to ▁sab ot age ▁while ▁tour ing ▁Europe : ▁The ▁experience ▁that ▁had ▁the ▁most ▁last ing ▁impact ▁on ▁Hay wood ▁was ▁witness ing ▁a ▁general ▁strike ▁on ▁the ▁French ▁rail ro ads .