Work stoppages, 2004

A total of 9 900 employees were involved in 12 labour disputes during 2004. By the last main settlement in 2002 nearly the same number of employees were involved in 16¹ work stoppages.

The oil industry and manufacturing had most of the lost working days with a total of 82 000 days lost. The strikes with most lost days were among oil workers and journalists. In construction the lift engineers were on strike and 24 000 workings days were lost. In transport and communication 33 000 days were lost when the transport workers went on strike.

As a rule, years with main settlements, such as 2004, 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 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 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 where 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.

Tables:

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