1997 was a relatively peaceful year on the Danish labour market

Although 1997 was a year which saw considerable collective bargaining in Denmark, it was relatively peaceful in terms of industrial disputes.

Although half of the private sector bargaining area conducted collective bargaining in the spring (DK9705110F), 1997 was a relatively peaceful year on the Danish labour market, with fewer conflicts than in previous years when bargaining occurred. According to statistics from the Danish Employers' Confederation (Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening, DA) the number of working days lost due to industrial action in 1997 - at 82,992 days - was significantly lower than in 1995 and 1993. The main reason for the lower figure is that only half of the private sector area conducted collective bargaining in 1997, while the whole area did so in 1995 and 1993.

The reasons for the loss of working days through industrial action fall into two groups - wages and secondary action. In 1997, approximately 38,500 working days were lost due to conflict over wages - an increase of approximately 10,000 days compared with 1996, but a decrease of some 36,000 days on 1995 figures. More than half of the days lost in 1997 (44,000) were due to secondary strikes and other conflicts that had a background other than disputes over wage-related conditions.