Work stoppages, 2002

A total of 9 900 employees in 16 labour disputes were affected by disputes in 2002. Hotels and restaurants had most of the lost working days in 2002 with 69 600 days lost. This makes up just over 46 per cent of all days lost in 2002.

As a rule, years with main settlements, such as in 2002, 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 cases. A revision of the agreements during the main settlement takes place in years with mid-term settlements. This explains some of the major changes in the statistics from one year to another.

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 in 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 and 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 Today's Statistics and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Statistical Yearbook.

For more information, contact :liv.tove.hytjan@ssb.no tel. (+47) 62 88 54 43 or :harald.lunde@ssb.no tel. (+47) 62 88 55 52.

Tables:

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