Latest release

Industrial Disputes, Australia

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

Reference period
June 2020

Main features

June key statistics

  • The Industrial Disputes release provides statistics monitoring the level of industrial disputation in Australia.
     

Quarterly estimates

  • 11 disputes occurred, 12 fewer than from the previous quarter.
  • 1,100 employees were involved, a decrease from 4,000 in the previous quarter.
  • 1,500 working days were lost, a decrease from 3,900 in the previous quarter.
  • More than five in ten (53%) working days lost were in the Transport, postal and warehousing industry.
  • More than seven in ten (71%) working days lost were in Victoria.
     

Year ended estimates;

  • 102 disputes occurred, 68 less than in the previous year.
  • 35,600 working days were lost, 68% less than the previous year.
     
 QuarterYear ended
March 2020June 2020June 2019June 2020
Number of disputes    
 Commenced in period (no.)
r17
8
163
94
 Total (no.)
r23
11
170
102
Employees involved    
 Newly involved ('000)
r2.9
0.9
65.8
28.8
 Total ('000)
r4.0
1.1
66.0
29.6
Working days lost ('000)
3.9
1.5
112.5
35.6
r revised

 
Download

Tables

1 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter

 Number of disputesEmployees involved 
 Commenced in periodTotalNewly involvedTotalWorking days lost
 no.no.'000'000'000
June Quarter 2018
42
48
14.4
14.6
12.5
September Quarter 2018
44
51
13.6
13.8
47.4
December Quarter 2018
53
62
25.6
28.8
30.9
March Quarter 2019
32
44
7.8
9.3
16.6
June Quarter 2019
34
44
18.8
20.2
17.6
September Quarter 2019
35
43
16.8
17.5
17.8
December Quarter 2019
34
38
8.3
8.8
12.4
March Quarter 2020
r17
r23
r2.9
r4.0
3.9
June Quarter 2020
8
11
0.9
1.1
1.5
r revised

 

2 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, industry

 March Quarter 2020June Quarter 2020
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
Mining    
 Coal mining
-
-
-
-
 Other mining
-
-
-
-
Manufacturing    
 Metal product etc(a)
0.1
0.3
-
-
 Other manufacturing
0.9
1.7
0.6
1.2
Construction
0.2
0.2
np
np
Transport, postal and warehousing
2.5
4.3
0.8
1.6
Education and training; Health care and social assistance
0.1
-
np
np
Other industries(a)
0.1
-
-
-
All industries
3.9
0.3
1.5
0.1
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated
a. See Glossary - Industry - for details of industries included.

 

3 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, states and territories

 March Quarter 2020June Quarter 2020
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
New South Wales
1.0
0.3
np
np
Victoria
2.0
0.6
1.0
0.4
Queensland
np
np
np
np
South Australia
-
-
-
-
Western Australia
np
np
-
-
Tasmania
-
-
-
-
Northern Territory
-
-
-
-
Australian Capital Territory
-
-
-
-
Australia
3.9
0.3
1.5
0.1
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

 

4 Industrial disputes which ended during the quarter

 December Quarter 2019March Quarter 2020
Total Number of DisputesTotal Employees InvolvedWorking days LostTotal Number of DisputesTotal Employees InvolvedWorking days Lost
no.'000'000no.'000'000
  CAUSE OF DISPUTE
Enterprise Bargaining (EB) related      
 Remuneration
8
1.2
4.2
4
0.2
0.3
 Employment conditions (EB)
15
5.3
9.5
12
3.4
3.6
 Other EB related
2
np
np
-
-
-
Non-EB related      
 Remuneration
-
-
-
-
-
-
 Employment conditions
-
-
-
-
-
-
 Health and safety
4
0.5
0.4
3
0.2
0.1
 Job security
1
np
np
-
-
-
 Managerial policy
-
-
-
1
0.1
0.1
 Union issues
-
-
-
-
-
-
 Other Non EB related
3
0.9
0.5
-
-
-
Total
33
8.0
14.6
20
3.8
4.1
  WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED
Up to and including 1 day
22
6.8
2.5
13
3.3
2.7
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days
1
np
np
4
0.4
0.6
Over 2 and less than 5 days
3
0.4
1.0
1
np
np
5 and less than 10 days
2
np
np
1
np
np
10 days and over
5
0.6
10.4
1
np
np
Total
33
8.0
14.6
20
3.8
4.1
  REASON WORK RESUMED
Negotiation without intervention of a third party
-
-
-
2
np
np
State legislation
2
0.1
0.1
-
-
-
Federal legislation
1
-
0.2
-
-
-
Pre-determined return to work
27
7.5
13.9
16
3.7
3.5
Resumption without negotiation
2
0.4
0.4
-
-
-
Mediation
1
0.1
-
1
np
np
Other reasons
-
-
-
1
np
np
Total
33
8.0
14.6
20
3.8
4.1
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

 

Revisions

Revisions have been made to the March quarter 2020 data. The data items affected were number of disputes and employees involved at total Australia level. These revisions are reflected in Table 1 and the associated time series spreadsheet.

Inquiries

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.

Data downloads

Table 1: Industrial disputes which occurred during the period

Data files
Download xls [88.5 KB]

Table 2a: Industrial disputes which occurred during the period, working days lost, industry

Data files
Download xls [102 KB]

Table 2b: Industrial disputes which occurred during the period, working days lost per thousand employees, industry

Data files
Download xls [99.5 KB]

Table 3a: Industrial disputes which occurred during the period, working days lost, states and territories

Data files
Download xls [149 KB]

Table 3b: Industrial disputes which occurred during the period, working days lost per thousand employees, states and territories

Data files
Download xls [138.5 KB]

Table 4a: Industrial disputes which ended during the period, cause of dispute

Data files
Download xls [327.5 KB]

Table 4b: Industrial disputes which ended during the period, working days lost per employee involved

Data files
Download xls [146.5 KB]

Table 4c: Industrial disputes which ended during the period, reason work resumed

Data files
Download xls [252 KB]

All data cubes

Data files
Download zip [403.52 KB]

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6321.0.55.001.

Methodology

Industrial Disputes, Australia methodology, June 2020