Industrial Disputes, Australia

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This publication contains the quarterly estimates of employees involved and working days lost from industrial disputes

Reference period
June 2019
Released
5/09/2019

Main features

June key statistics

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

Quarterly estimates

  • 44 disputes occurred, no change from the previous quarter.
  • 20,200 employees were involved, an increase from 9,300 in the previous quarter.
  • 17,600 working days were lost, an increase from 16,600 in the previous quarter.
  • More than five in ten (56%) working days lost were in the Construction industry.
  • More than four in ten (44%) working days lost were in Victoria.
     

Year ended estimates

  • 170 disputes occurred, 6 more than in the previous year.
  • 112,500 working days were lost, 2% more than the previous year.
     
  QuarterYear ended
  March 2019June 2019June 2018June 2019
Number of disputes    
 Commenced in period (no.)3234147163
 Total (no.)4444164170
Employees involved    
 Newly involved ('000)7.818.839.265.8
 Total ('000)9.320.241.066.0
Working days lost ('000)16.617.6110.0112.5

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 2017414922.727.840.2
September Quarter 201740576.38.145.9
December Quarter 2017466714.717.136.7
March Quarter 201819243.84.014.9
June Quarter 2018424814.414.612.5
September Quarter 2018445113.613.847.4
December Quarter 2018536225.628.830.9
March Quarter 201932447.89.316.6
June Quarter 2019344418.820.217.6

2 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, industry

  March Quarter 2019June Quarter 2019
  Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
  '000no.'000no.
Mining    
 Coal miningnpnp--
 Other mining----
Manufacturing    
 Metal product etc(a)1.03.5npnp
 Other manufacturingnpnpnpnp
Construction4.95.39.910.5
Transport, postal and warehousing7.212.11.32.4
Education and training; Health care and social assistance0.10.11.10.4
Other industries(a)2.90.53.70.6
All industries16.61.417.61.5

- 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 2019June Quarter 2019
 Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
 '000no.'000no.
New South Wales10.52.83.40.9
Victoria2.30.87.82.5
Queensland2.71.25.22.3
South Australianpnpnpnp
Western Australianpnpnpnp
Tasmania0.20.91.04.4
Northern Territory-0.1npnp
Australian Capital Territory-0.1npnp
Australia16.61.417.61.5

- 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 2018March Quarter 2019
  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      
 Remuneration14npnp71.14.5
 Employment conditions (EB)2612.911.5162.26.2
 Other EB related------
Non-EB related      
 Remuneration---1npnp
 Employment conditions2npnp---
 Health and safety20.10.194.36.3
 Job security3npnp---
 Managerial policy------
 Union issues---1npnp
 Other Non EB related211.47.6---
Total4927.028.8347.617.0
 WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED 
Up to and including 1 day2824.014.6144.93.4
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days8npnp60.91.7
Over 2 and less than 5 days40.61.670.92.7
5 and less than 10 days3npnp40.75.2
10 days and over60.35.030.24.0
Total4927.028.8347.617.0
 REASON WORK RESUMED 
Negotiation without intervention of a third party81.48.84npnp
State legislation------
Federal legislation---20.43.3
Pre-determined return to work3725.519.9223.18.9
Resumption without negotiation2npnp50.50.4
Mediation2npnp1npnp
Other reasons------
Total4927.028.8347.617.0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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