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
June 2024
Released
11/09/2024
  • Next Release 11/12/2024
    Industrial Disputes, Australia, September 2024
  • Next Release 12/03/2025
    Industrial Disputes, Australia, December 2024
  • View all releases

Key statistics

In the June quarter 2024:

  • 52 disputes occurred.
  • 23,800 employees were involved and 21,900 working days lost.
  • disputes occurred in 6 industries and in 6 states and territories.

During the year ended June 2024, there were 193 disputes and a total of 120,000 working days lost.

Key statistics
 QuarterYear ended
March Quarter 2024June Quarter 2024June Quarter 2023June Quarter 2024
Number of disputes (no.) 
 New3643203179
 Total 4852213193
Employees involved ('000) 
 New10.623.653.365.9
 Total 12.823.854.367.3
Working days lost ('000) 16.821.967.1120.0

Overview

In the June quarter 2024, there were:

  • 52 disputes, an increase from 48 in the previous quarter.
  • 23,800 employees involved, an increase from 12,800 in the previous quarter.
  • 21,900 working days lost, an increase from 16,800 in the previous quarter.

Year ended estimates:

  • 193 disputes occurred, 20 less than in the previous year.
  • 120,000 working days were lost, 52,900 more than in the previous year.
Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter
 Number of disputesEmployees involvedWorking days lost 
New (no.)Total (no.)New ('000)Total ('000)('000)
June Quarter 2022455271.273.7128.1
September Quarter 2022607021.222.228.1
December Quarter 2022536818.421.621.0
March Quarter 202333414.14.77.7
June Quarter 202357719.610.510.2
September Quarter 2023536717.418.837.1
December Quarter 2023476714.318.644.2
March Quarter 2024364810.612.816.8
June Quarter 2024435223.623.821.9

Long-term trends

The level of industrial disputation over recent years is considerably lower than in the 1980's and prior decades.

Industry

In the June quarter, disputes occurred in six industries.  Over a third (40%) of the total working days lost were in the Construction industry.

Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, industry
 March Quarter 2024June Quarter 2024
Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)
Mining 
 Coal mining----
 Other mining----
Manufacturing 
 Metal product etc (a)0.61.82.26.4
 Other manufacturing0.10.13.97.7
Construction3.23.08.97.9
Transport, postal & warehousing5.48.30.60.9
Education & training; Health care & social assistance0.40.14.91.5
Other industries (a)7.11.01.40.2
All industries16.81.321.91.7

(a)  see Glossary - Industry - for details of industries included
(-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

States and territories

Disputes occurred in six states and territories in the June quarter, with nearly a half (47%) of the total working days lost occurring in Queensland.

Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, states and territories
 March Quarter 2024June Quarter 2024
Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)Working days lost ('000)Working days lost per thousand employees (no.)
New South Wales2.10.52.40.6
Victoria2.40.72.40.7
Queensland9.43.610.43.9
South Australia0.10.1npnp
Western Australia2.71.84.53.0
Tasmanianpnpnpnp
Northern Territory----
Australian Capital Territorynpnp--
Australia16.81.321.91.7

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

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 74% of disputes (29 of 39) which ended in the March quarter 2024.

Cause of dispute for disputes which ended during the quarter
 December Quarter 2023March Quarter 2024
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 
 Remuneration202.49.460.52.1
 Employment conditions3012.437.9239.620.5
 Other ------
Non-Enterprise Bargaining related 
 Remuneration------
 Employment conditions------
 Health and safety20.1-81.41.6
 Job security------
 Managerial policy10.1----
 Union issues------
 Other22.11.421.00.8
Total 5517.048.83912.525.1

(-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

Working days lost

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

Of the 39 disputes which ended in the March quarter, 17 lasted up to and including 1 day. These disputes had:

  • 7,800 employees involved; and
  • 6,900 working days lost.
Working days lost for disputes which ended during the quarter
 December Quarter 2023March Quarter 2024
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 day188.47.3177.86.9
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days123.74.5132.43.4
Over 2 and less than 5 days113.110.260.61.6
5 and less than 10 days80.86.521.712.0
10 days and over61.020.31-1.1
Total5517.048.83912.525.1

(-)  nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

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 72% of disputes (28 of 39) which ended in the March quarter 2024. 

Reason work resumed for disputes which ended during the quarter
 December Quarter 2023March Quarter 2024
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 party5npnp4npnp
State legislation------
Federal legislation------
Pre-determined return to work4616.536.32810.321.4
Resumption without negotiation20.310.351.92.1
Mediation2npnp2npnp
Other reasons------
Total5517.048.83912.525.1

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

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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