Increase in work days lost due to strikes in 2006

The latest official UK strike figures, published in June 2007, show that the number of days lost through strikes rose significantly in 2006 compared with the previous year. More than 85% of the days lost involved industrial action by public sector workers. Most of the disputes were pay related and of short duration. Given recent trends, it seems likely that the increase in labour disputes will continue.

In June 2007, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published its final figures (489Kb PDF) on the incidence of stoppages of work arising from labour disputes in 2006. These figures provide data on three main measures of labour disputes – namely, the numbers of working days lost, work stoppages and workers involved – analysing them by sector, cause and duration, and comparing them with figures from previous years.

Changes in strike patterns

In comparison with 2005, a significant increase was reported in strike activity on each official measure of labour disputes. In 2006, some 754,500 working days were lost through disputes, compared with 157,400 in 2005. At the same time, 713,300 workers participated in these disputes, compared with 92,600 in 2005. In addition, 158 work stoppages were recorded, compared with 116 in 2005. The number of working days lost per 1,000 employees amounted to 28 days in 2006, compared with six days in 2005.

This recent annual increase in strike activity needs to be set in the context of the substantial decline in the number of working days lost through stoppages – and the number of strikes – over the last 30 years in the UK. The number of working days lost in 2006 was much lower than the average per year in both the 1970s, at 12.9 million, and the 1980s, at 7.2 million, but higher than the average for the 1990s, which stood at 660,000. The number of strikes in 2006 was the highest since 2001, but compares with an average of over a thousand in the 1980s and 273 in the 1990s.

Sectoral analysis

In 2006, around 83% of working days lost arose from 18 work stoppages in public administration, 4% from 53 stoppages in education and 5% from 30 stoppages in transport. Some 25 work stoppages were also recorded in manufacturing, resulting in 18,000 working days lost.

Although the number of stoppages in the public and private sectors has been broadly similar over the last decade, the number of working days lost in the public sector – and its strike rate – has exceeded that of the private sector in most years, and often by a relatively large margin. In 2006, some 656,000 working days were lost in the public sector compared with 98,000 in the private sector, while the number of days lost to strikes per 1,000 employees amounted to 111 days in the public sector and five days in the private sector.

The biggest single stoppage in 2006 was the 24-hour strike mounted by local government workers over planned changes to the local government pension scheme (UK0604039I).

Causes of disputes

As in previous years, the principal cause of labour disputes in 2006 was pay and pay-related issues. Pay disputes accounted for 73% of working days lost and 68% of all stoppages. Issues concerning redundancy and potential job losses accounted for 22% of working days lost and 13% of all stoppages. Less than 2% of working days lost arose from disputes concerning working conditions and supervision, dismissal and disciplinary issues, as well as staffing and work allocation.

Duration

Most labour disputes were of short duration: 55% of all work stoppages in 2006 lasted just one day, and accounted for 67% of the total working days lost, while 15% of stoppages lasted for two days, accounting for 20% of all working days lost. In sharp contrast to this typical pattern, 12% of stoppages in 2006 lasted between six and 10 days, and two stoppages lasted between 31 and 50 days.

Strike ballots

Almost all labour disputes in the UK follow an affirmative ballot initiated by trade unions and supervised by an independent organisation – usually the Electoral Reform Services (ERS). The number of ballots held has increased over the last five years and 1,341 took place in 2006. A total of 1,290 ballots (85%) resulted in a ‘yes’ vote; however, as can be inferred from the above data on the number of recorded strikes (158 in 2006), trade unions often initiate ballots calling for strike action – or industrial action short of a strike – to strengthen their negotiating position, and in the expectation that a strike may not take place.

Commentary

Although it is impossible to predict future trends in strikes and other forms of industrial action, it seems likely that the recent increase in labour disputes will continue. The majority of working days lost will almost certainly arise from short, but relatively frequent, disputes in the public sector, as trade unions oppose government policies to limit pay increases, and pursue the modernisation of public services that may lead to further job losses. The current industrial action in the Royal Mail (UK0707069I) is a case in point.

David Winchester, IRRU, University of Warwick