Number of work days lost to strike action dips to record low figure

A TOTAL of 7,352 working days were lost through strike action by workers across the country last year — the lowest since records began in 1923.

However, Ireland is still seen as a country with poor industrial relations dispute resolution compared to other European countries.

The number of days lost last year was less than one-third of the days lost in 2005, which the Government has attributed to effective mediation by the Labour Court between employers and worker unions.

The days lost in 2006 were in 10 strikes, affecting 1,186 workers and 10 firms.

The breakdown sector-by-sector of the statistics for 2006 showed that two disputes in the construction sector accounted for 4,769 or 65% of the total days lost, with three disputes in the manufacturing area accounting for a further 1,114 (15%).

In the previous year, 26,670 days were lost to 16 industrial disputes.

Ireland has had its fair share of industrial relations breakdowns.

The 1970s was one of the worst decades for days lost to industrial action at 600,000 days, while 1999 was one of the worst single years with 215,587 days lost. However, over the past five years the number has averaged just under 23,000.

“Viewed on their own, the historical data on industrial disputes in Ireland show a tremendous improvement in this country’s strike record,” the LRC said in its annual report for 2006. “However, the data does not show how the country’s record compares to that of economies elsewhere. Such comparisons would perhaps reflect a truer measure of Ireland’s performance in the management of industrial conflict.”

It referred to figures generated by the British Office for National Statistics published in March 2007 which looked at working days not worked per 1,000 employees in all industries and services.

It compared Ireland, the EU and OECD from 1996 to 2005 and found that there were 57 working days not worked per 1,000 employees in Ireland, compared to 50 in the EU and 42 in the OECD.

“The table indicates that, while Ireland recorded an overall reduction in the number of workdays lost per 1,000 employees as a result of industrial action, these comparative figures suggest the need to view them in an international competitive environment,” the LRC said.

“Needless to remark, environmental factors, corporate taxation and infrastructural provision are factors other than the industrial relations climate that influence investment decisions.”

However, Labour Affairs Minister Tony Killeen praised the Labour Relations Commission and said it had played a significant role in reducing the number of days lost to industrial disputes last year.

He said it was an indication of its continuing high success rate of resolution of trade disputes — 81% of disputes referred to the commission’s Conciliation Services Division were resolved at conciliation stage in 2006.

Speaking at the launch of the LRC’s annual report for 2006, the minister said: “The strike day statistics highlight the willingness of employers, workers and trade unions to resolve potential disputes either at workplace level or, if necessary, through the utilisation of the available dispute settling services, such as the Labour Relations Commission.

“The formulation of partnership agreements has played a key part in resolving industrial disputes.

“These statistics reflect the stability of the industrial relations environment.

“For example, there were 1,090 days lost in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared with 22,588 days lost in the fourth quarter of 2005.”