DECEMBER KEY FIGURES
 | | Quarter | Year ended | |
| | September 2005 | December 2005 | December 2004 | December 2005 | |
| |
| Number of disputes | | | | | |
| Commenced in period (no.) | r144 | 84 | 682 | 462 | |
| Total (no.) | r150 | 96 | 692 | 472 | |
| Employees involved | | | | | |
| Newly involved ('000) | r68.1 | 102.1 | 193.3 | 240.5 | |
| Total ('000) | r68.4 | 102.6 | 194.0 | 241.0 | |
| Working days lost ('000) | r49.3 | 81.0 | 379.8 | 228.3 | |
| |
| r revised |
Working days lost
| |
DECEMBER KEY POINTS
QUARTERLY ESTIMATES
- For the December quarter 2005, there were 96 disputes, 54 less than in the September quarter 2005.
- The number of employees involved in industrial disputes in the December quarter 2005 was 102,600, an increase from 68,400 in the September quarter 2005.
- There were 81,000 working days lost due to industrial disputation in the December quarter 2005, an increase from 49,300 in the September quarter 2005.
- The Education and Health and community services industries accounted for 25,500 (32%) of the total number of working days lost in the December quarter 2005. The Construction industry had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (40.1) for the quarter, followed by Coal mining (39.5) and Metal product and Machinery and equipment manufacturing (38.9).
- In the December quarter 2005, Victoria accounted for 33,800 (42%) of working days lost. Victoria also had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (15.3) for the quarter.
YEAR ENDED ESTIMATES
- During the year ended December 2005, there were 472 disputes, 220 less than in the year ended December 2004.
- During the year ended December 2005, there were 228,300 working days lost compared with 379,800 in the year ended December 2004.
NOTES
FORTHCOMING ISSUES
| ISSUE (QUARTER) | Release Date |
| March 2006 | 8 June 2006 |
| June 2006 | 7 September 2006 |
NOTES ON ESTIMATES
ACTU 'NATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY PROTEST'
Industrial Disputes statistics for the December quarter 2005 include the ACTU 'National Day of Community Protest' which took place on 15 November 2005. Protest rallies took place in all capital cities and in major regional centres.
ABS data on the number of employees involved and working days lost, in respect of this dispute, are significantly lower than those reported in the media at the time of the dispute. The main reasons are:
- Employees who took authorised leave, such as time off in lieu, extended lunch breaks or paid leave, to participate in the rallies, are excluded from ABS industrial disputes statistics.
- Members of the general public, other than employees, who took part in the rallies, are excluded from ABS industrial disputes statistics.
- ABS data are mainly sourced from employers. Due to widespread involvement in the rallies, it has been difficult to identify all employers whose employees were on unauthorised absence on the day.
For further information on ABS scope and collection methodology for the Industrial Disputes collection, see the Explanatory Notes.
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.
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 | |
| |
| December Quarter 2003 | 172 | 187 | 114.9 | 116.3 | 151.5 | |
| March Quarter 2004 | 177 | 187 | 44.6 | 45.2 | 80.4 | |
| June Quarter 2004 | 175 | 190 | 63.2 | 65.0 | 154.2 | |
| September Quarter 2004 | 188 | 194 | 56.0 | 56.2 | 93.3 | |
| December Quarter 2004 | 142 | 149 | 29.6 | 33.6 | 51.9 | |
| March Quarter 2005 | 109 | 119 | 20.3 | 20.8 | 45.1 | |
| June Quarter 2005 | 125 | 138 | 50.1 | 53.4 | 52.8 | |
| September Quarter 2005 | r144 | r150 | r68.1 | r68.4 | r49.3 | |
| December Quarter 2005 | 84 | 96 | 102.1 | 102.6 | 81.0 | |
| |
| r revised |
2. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, Industry |
| |
| | September Quarter 2005 | December Quarter 2005 | |
| | Working days lost | Working days lost per thousand employees | Working days lost | Working days lost per thousand employees | |
| | '000 | | '000 | | |
| |
| Mining | | | | | |
| Coal mining | 0.9 | 31.8 | 1.1 | 39.5 | |
| Other | 0.4 | 4.1 | 0.1 | 0.5 | |
| Manufacturing | | | | | |
| Metal product; Machinery and equipment | 6.1 | 17.2 | 15.0 | 38.9 | |
| Other | r2.5 | r4.1 | 6.4 | 10.3 | |
| Construction | r21.3 | 37.4 | 23.0 | 40.1 | |
| Transport and storage; Communication services | 2.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 10.4 | |
| Education; Health and community services | r14.3 | r8.7 | 25.5 | 15.4 | |
| Other industries | 1.5 | 0.3 | 4.2 | 0.9 | |
| All industries | r49.3 | r5.7 | 81.0 | 9.3 | |
| |
| r revised |
3. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, States and territories |
| |
| September Quarter 2005 | December Quarter 2005 | |
| Working days lost | Working days lost per thousand employees | Working days lost | Working days lost per thousand employees | |
| '000 | | '000 | | |
| |
| New South Wales | 22.1 | 7.9 | 24.7 | 8.7 | |
| Victoria | 7.8 | 3.6 | 33.8 | 15.3 | |
| Queensland | r2.4 | r1.4 | 7.9 | 4.6 | |
| South Australia | r3.8 | r5.9 | 1.3 | 2.0 | |
| Western Australia | 11.1 | 12.7 | 12.0 | 13.4 | |
| Tasmania | - | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | |
| Northern Territory | 2.2 | 25.2 | 1.1 | 12.4 | |
| Australian Capital Territory | - | 0.1 | - | 0.2 | |
| Australia | r49.3 | r5.7 | 81.0 | 9.3 | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| r revised |
4. Industrial disputes which ended during the quarter(a) |
| |
| | June Quarter 2005 | September Quarter 2005 | |
| | 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 | 12.9 | 23.1 | 26 | 11.6 | 9.5 | |
| Employment conditions (EB) | np | 1.6 | 3.1 | np | - | - | |
| Other EB related | 5 | 0.4 | 2.9 | np | 0.2 | 0.4 | |
| Non-EB related | | | | | | | |
| Remuneration | 5 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 3 | 0.1 | 0.1 | |
| Employment conditions | 13 | 1.9 | 1.3 | 13 | 1.4 | 2.4 | |
| Health and safety | 28 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 34 | 7.4 | 9.4 | |
| Job security | 14 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 9 | 1.0 | 1.7 | |
| Managerial policy | 26 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 39 | 3.9 | 5.0 | |
| Union issues | 15 | 8.7 | 4.8 | 10 | 1.2 | 1.0 | |
| Other non-EB related | np | 0.1 | - | np | 62.3 | 31.1 | |
| Total | 132 | 35.8 | 46.0 | 138 | 89.1 | 60.7 | |
WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED | |
| |
| Up to and including 1 day | 78 | 21.1 | 10.0 | 75 | 80.4 | 41.6 | |
| Over 1 day and up to and including 2 days | 33 | 12.5 | 22.7 | 36 | 5.1 | 8.1 | |
| Over 2 and less than 5 days | 16 | 1.6 | 5.0 | 22 | 3.5 | 9.6 | |
| 5 and less than 10 days | np | 0.1 | 0.6 | np | 0.1 | 1.0 | |
| 10 days and over | np | 0.5 | 7.7 | np | - | 0.3 | |
| Total | 132 | 35.8 | 46.0 | 138 | 89.1 | 60.7 | |
REASON WORK RESUMED | |
| |
| Negotiation without intervention of a third party | 28 | 3.0 | 10.3 | 35 | 5.0 | 5.9 | |
| State legislation | 14 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 10 | 1.3 | 2.7 | |
| Federal legislation | 11 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 16 | 3.3 | 7.3 | |
| Pre-determined return to work | 27 | 13.0 | 20.6 | 25 | 3.0 | 3.4 | |
| Resumption without negotiation | 41 | 14.4 | 7.9 | 40 | 75.6 | 39.8 | |
| Mediation | 11 | 2.0 | 3.1 | 9 | 0.7 | 1.5 | |
| Other reasons | - | - | - | 3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | |
| Total | 132 | 35.8 | 46.0 | 138 | 89.1 | 60.7 | |
| |
| - nil or rounded to zero (including null cells) |
| np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated |
| (a) See Explanatory Notes, paragraph 12 |
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