A scab worker is a person who works during a strike or planned work stoppage, despite the ongoing labor dispute. Scabs are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the strike to keep the organization running. The term "scab" is a derogatory term used to refer to someone who undermines the striking workers bargaining power by crossing the picket line. The term has been used since the late 1700s to refer to workers who wouldnt join a strike, a union, or take part in organized labor and undermined their fellow workers. The term "scab" originates from an Old Norse term and refers to the hardened crust that forms around a wound, as well as to a disease affecting the skin of animals and plants.