Work stoppages, 2001

A total of 29 employees in 3 labour disputes were affected by disputes in 2001. By comparison, around 7 100 workers in 15 different disputes were affected in 1999, the last year with mid-term settlements.

Hotels and restaurants had most of the lost workdays in 2001 with 519 workdays lost. This makes up just over 83 per cent of all workdays lost in 2001.

As a rule, years with mid-term settlements, such as 2001, have fewer work stoppages than years with main 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.

About the statistical basis

The statistics cover industrial disputes, or work stoppages, of at least one day's 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.

The statistics are published annually in DS and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Statistical Yearbook.

For more information contact :liv.tove.hytjan@ssb.no tel. 62 88 54 43 or :harald.lunde@ssb.no tel. 62 88 55 52.

Tables:

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