Industrial Disputes, Australia

Latest release

The number of disputes (strikes or lockouts), employees involved and working days lost; cause of dispute; duration; and the reason work resumed

Reference period
September 2025
Released
10/12/2025
  • Next Release 11/03/2026
    Industrial Disputes, Australia, December 2025
  • Next Release 10/06/2026
    Industrial Disputes, Australia, March 2026
  • Next Release 9/09/2026
    Industrial Disputes, Australia, June 2026
  • View all releases
Release date and time
10/12/2025 11:30am AEDT

Key statistics

In the September quarter 2025, there were:

  • 87 disputes, 43 more than the previous quarter.
  • 41,800 employees involved, an increase from 15,900 in the previous quarter.
  • 55,100 working days lost, an increase from 28,500 in the previous quarter.
  • Disputes occurred in eight industries and in seven states and territories.

Year ended estimates:

  • 216 disputes occurred, 16 more than in the previous year.
  • 151,300 working days were lost, 21,800 more than in the previous year.
Key statistics
  QuarterYear ended
  June Quarter 2025September Quarter 2025September Quarter 2024September Quarter 2025
Number of disputes (no.) 
 New3974180196
 Total 4487200216
Employees involved ('000) 
 New14.740.579.585.9
 Total 15.941.883.889.3
Working days lost ('000) 28.555.1129.5151.3

 

Industrial disputes over time

Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter
 Number of disputesEmployees involvedWorking days lost
 New (no.)Total (no.)New ('000)Total ('000)('000)
September Quarter 2023536717.418.837.1
December Quarter 2023476714.318.644.2
March Quarter 2024364810.612.816.8
June Quarter 2024435223.623.821.9
September Quarter 2024546330.933.046.6
December Quarter 2024496921.725.253.8
March Quarter 202534448.910.313.9
June Quarter 2025394414.715.928.5
September Quarter 2025748740.541.855.1

Industry

In the September quarter, disputes occurred in all eight industries. 

Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, industry
 June Quarter 2025September Quarter 2025
 Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)
Mining 
 Coal miningnpnpnpnp
 Other mining0.10.3--
Manufacturing 
 Metal product etc (a)2.27.32.89.5
 Other manufacturing1.63.1npnp
Construction13.412.39.68.7
Transport, postal & warehousing1.62.43.35.1
Education & training; Health care & social assistance7.82.3npnp
Other industries (a)npnp2.70.4
All industries28.52.155.14.2

(a)  see Glossary - Industry - for details of industries included
(-) nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(np)  not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

States and territories

Disputes occurred in six states and one territory in the September quarter.

  

Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, states and territories
 June Quarter 2025September Quarter 2025
 Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)
New South Wales12.73.19.62.4
Victoria 2.90.86.31.8
Queensland10.13.6npnp
South Australianpnpnpnp
Western Australianpnp2.91.9
Tasmania--0.10.5
Northern Territory--npnp
Australian Capital Territory----
Australia28.52.155.14.2

(-) nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(np)  not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

Cause of dispute

Most industrial disputes are Enterprise Bargaining (EB) related. Over the past 10 years, disputes over employment conditions have generally been the most prevalent. 

EB related issues were the cause of 77% of disputes (24 of 31) which ended in the June quarter 2025.

Cause of dispute for disputes which ended during the quarter
  March Quarter 2025June Quarter 2025
  Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)
Enterprise Bargaining related 
 Remuneration71.32.48npnp
 Employment conditions244.312.7162.25.6
 Other ------
Non-Enterprise Bargaining related 
 Remuneration10.10.1---
 Employment conditions------
 Health and safety30.20.24npnp
 Job security---1--
 Managerial policy20.20.3---
 Union issues10.2----
 Other13.82.824.47.8
Total 3910.118.43113.723.1

 (-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(np)  not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated
 

Working days lost

Working days lost is a measure of the length of a dispute, relative to the number of employees involved.

Of the 31 disputes which ended in the June quarter, 13 lasted Up to and including 1 day. These disputes:

  • had 4,300 employees involved; and
  • resulted in 2,600 working days lost.
Working days lost for disputes which ended during the quarter
 March Quarter 2025June Quarter 2025
 Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)
Up to and including 1 day226.64.2134.32.6
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days61.11.668.215.1
Over 2 and less than 5 days70.82.3111.34.8
5 and less than 10 days2npnp10.10.6
10 days and over2npnp---
Total3910.118.43113.723.1

 (-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(np)  not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

Reason work resumed

The reason work resumed relates to the last day of action taken. Resumption of work can occur without resolution to the issues that triggered the dispute. 

There was a pre-determined return to work for 90% of disputes (28 of 31) which ended in the June quarter 2025. 

Reason work resumed for disputes which ended during the quarter
 March Quarter 2025June Quarter 2025
 Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)Number of disputes (no.)Employees involved ('000)Working days lost ('000)
Negotiation without intervention of a third party5npnp10.10.1
State legislation------
Federal legislation1npnp1--
Pre-determined return to work30npnp2813.322.9
Resumption without negotiation30.10.110.40.2
Mediation------
Other reasons------
Total3910.118.43113.723.1

(-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(np)  not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated
 

Data downloads

Time Series Spreadsheets

Data files

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Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6321.0.55.001.

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