Work stoppages, 2000

A total of 94 000 employees in 29 labour disputes were affected by disputes in 2000. By comparison, around 27 000 workers in 36 different disputes were affected in 1998.

Manufacturing was the hardest hit by disputes in 2000, with nearly 286 000 workdays lost. This makes up just over 57 per cent of all workdays lost. The construction industry and health and social services sector also had major disputes, with a loss of 93 000 and 56 000 workdays respectively. This corresponds to just over 18 and 11 per cent respectively of all workdays lost.

As a rule, years with main settlements, such as 2000, have more work stoppages than years with mid-term settlements. The main settlement takes place every other year and means that two-year agreements are signed in most areas. A revision of the agreements entered into during the main settlement takes place in years with mid-term settlements. This explains some of the major changes in the statistics from year to year.

The statistics cover industrial disputes, or work stoppages, of at least one days duration. The number of disputes per year is computed from the number of trade union federations or confederations that have had groups of employees involved a work stoppage. The following types of strikes are covered: legal strikes, illegal strikes, sympathy strikes, political or protest strikes, general strikes, work stoppages started by employees, rotating strikes. Strikes that are discontinued and later resumed for the same reason count as one strike unless the interruption lasts more than two months. A dispute resumed after more than two months counts as a new strike. A dispute that occurs one year and continues the next is included in both years, i.e. as two strikes.

Tables:

• Table 1 Work stoppages
• Table 2 Work stoppages, by industry