6321.0.55.001 - Industrial Disputes, Australia, Jun 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 16/09/2004   
   Page tools: Print Print Page Print all pages in this productPrint All

JUNE QUARTER 2004 KEY POINTS


QUARTERLY ESTIMATES

  • For the June quarter 2004, there were 189 disputes, 2 more than in the March quarter 2004.
  • The number of employees involved in industrial disputes increased from 45,200 in the March quarter 2004 to 64,700 in the June quarter 2004.
  • There were 152,900 working days lost due to industrial disputation in the June quarter 2004, an increase of 72,500 from the March quarter 2004.
  • The Education and Health and community services industries accounted for 98,500 (64%) of the total number of working days lost in the June quarter 2004. These industries also accounted for the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (61.1) for the quarter.
  • In the June quarter 2004, NSW accounted for 113,300 (74%) of working days lost. NSW also had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (40.8) for the quarter.


YEAR ENDED ESTIMATES
  • During the year ended June 2004, there were 716 disputes, 13 more than in the year ended June 2003.
  • During the year ended June 2004, there were 550,900 working days lost, 306,200 more than in the year ended June 2003.

Working days lost
Graph: Working days lost



JUNE QUARTER 2004 KEY FIGURES

Quarter
Year ended
March Quarter 2004
June Quarter 2004
June 2003
June 2004

Number of disputes
Commenced in period (no.)
177
174
681
703
Total (no.)
187
189
703
716
Employees involved
Newly involved ('000)
r44.6
62.9
128.6
326.7
Total ('000)
r45.2
64.7
133.9
330.2
Working days lost ('000)
r80.4
152.9
244.7
550.9

r revised


TABLES

1. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter

Number of disputes
Employees involved
Commenced in period
Total
Newly involved
Total
Working days lost
no.
no.
'000
'000
'000

June Quarter 2002
188
205
39.9
41.4
63.4
September Quarter 2002
218
240
35.6
40.9
53.4
December Quarter 2002
181
198
37.7
41.1
69.6
March Quarter 2003
153
162
29.2
30.1
66.3
June Quarter 2003
129
141
26.2
29.7
55.5
September Quarter 2003
180
193
104.4
107.9
166.2
December Quarter 2003
172
187
114.9
116.3
151.5
March Quarter 2004
177
187
r44.6
r45.2
r80.4
June Quarter 2004
174
189
62.9
64.7
152.9

r revised

2. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, Industry

March Quarter 2004
June Quarter 2004
Working days lost
Working days lost per thousand employees
Working days lost
Working days lost per thousand employees
'000
'000

Mining
Coal mining
0.7
31.5
0.3
16.5
Other
5.7
71.3
0.4
5.2
Manufacturing
Metal product; Machinery and equipment
4.8
13.0
6.6
18.0
Other
7.0
11.2
5.1
7.8
Construction
r26.8
r51.2
25.2
46.1
Transport and storage; Communication services
3.9
7.4
11.6
21.4
Education; Health and community services
24.5
15.8
98.5
61.1
Other industries
7.0
1.5
5.2
1.1
All industries
r80.4
r9.7
152.9
18.2

r revised

3. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, States and territories

March Quarter 2004
June Quarter 2004
Working days lost
Working days lost per thousand employees
Working days lost
Working days lost per thousand employees
'000
'000

New South Wales
r12.8
4.6
113.3
40.8
Victoria
r41.8
r19.9
17.3
8.2
Queensland
6.0
3.8
4.9
3.0
South Australia
4.9
8.1
1.5
2.4
Western Australia
r14.7
r17.7
14.3
16.9
Tasmania
0.3
1.7
0.1
0.4
Northern Territory
-
-
1.1
11.9
Australian Capital Territory
-
-
0.4
2.2
Australia
r80.4
r9.7
152.9
18.2

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
r revised

4. Industrial disputes which ended during the quarter (a)

December Quarter 2003
March Quarter 2004
Number of disputes
Employees involved
Working days lost
Number of disputes
Employees involved
Working days lost
no.
'000
'000
no.
'000
'000

CAUSE OF DISPUTE

Enterprise Bargaining (EB) related
Remuneration
23
16.4
34.3
r10
r8.1
r15.6
Employment conditions (EB)
8
9.1
44.3
r9
r9.2
r56.5
Other EB related
12
2.3
5.2
r6
r0.5
r1.0
Non-EB related
Remuneration
10
1.5
2.5
r12
1.9
r1.6
Employment conditions
7
1.6
0.9
6
0.6
0.6
Health and safety
46
9.2
11.9
r60
r10.5
r14.8
Job security
10
1.7
15.6
13
2.7
3.9
Managerial policy
33
6.6
15.8
35
r6.2
r12.2
Union issues
10
1.4
0.9
r14
r2.6
r3.5
Non EB related
18
69.3
54.8
7
4.7
5.5
Total
177
119.2
186.4
r172
r46.8
r115.0

WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED

Up to and including 1 day
90
70.2
48.2
r99
r20.6
r14.4
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days
43
32.4
36.6
r37
r10.8
r14.2
Over 2 and less than 5 days
25
13.6
58.6
r27
r5.7
r16.0
5 and less than 10 days
11
2.4
15.7
np
9.5
61.4
10 days and over
8
0.6
27.3
np
r0.2
r9.0
Total
177
119.2
186.4
r172
r46.8
r115.0

REASON WORK RESUMED

Negotiation without intervention of a third party
31
3.8
17.6
r20
r11.9
r57.9
State legislation
9
0.5
1.5
r19
r3.1
r3.9
Federal legislation
16
13.3
22.6
r25
4.6
r8.4
Pre-determined return to work
35
31.6
34.0
r25
r14.5
r22.3
Resumption without negotiation
72
67.5
89.8
r69
r11.2
r15.1
Mediation
8
1.9
3.6
14
1.5
7.4
Other reasons
6
0.6
17.2
-
-
-
Total
177
119.2
186.4
r172
r46.8
r115.0

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated
r revised
(a) See Explanatory Notes, paragraph 12

NOTES

INTRODUCTION

This publication presents quarterly statistics on industrial disputes in Australia, obtained from the Industrial Disputes collection.


REVISIONS

Revisions have been made to the quarterly series as a result of disputes being identified after the release of the previous issue and as a result of correcting errors in previously reported data.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Peta Sheehan on Perth (08) 9360 5159. As well as the statistics included in this publication, other data from the Industrial Disputes collection are available either as time series spreadsheets (see links below) or, on request, as customised reports. If you wish to discuss individual requests please telephone Peta Sheehan.