Big fall in days lost to industrial disputes

There was a six-fold drop in the amount of days lost to industrial disputes in the last three months compared with the same period last year, new figures released today reveal.

Three hundred days were lost in the second quarter of this year versus 1,801 for the same time in 2006, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) announced.

Three disputes began or were in progress in the first six months of 2007, involving three firms and a loss of 2097 days.

Last year 5208 days were lost during the same period.

No industrial dispute began in the second quarter of this year, although one in the manufacturing sector carried over from quarter one and involved 300 workers at a single business.

This compares with three disputes which began in the same period last year, with four in total running during those three months involving 485 workers.

The manufacturing sector accounted for the most lost days during the first half of this year, at 57%, while almost 40% were lost in the public administration and defence sector.