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
September 2019
Released
5/12/2019

Main features

September key statistics

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

Quarterly estimates

  • 43 disputes occurred, one less from the previous quarter.
  • 17,500 employees were involved, a decrease from 20,200 in the previous quarter.
  • 17,800 working days were lost, a slight increase from 17,600 in the previous quarter.
  • More than three in ten (38%) working days lost were in the Education and training; Health care and social assistance industry.
  • More than three in ten (35%) working days lost were in South Australia.
     

Year ended estimates

  • 163 disputes occurred, 9 less than in the previous year.
  • 82,900 working days were lost, 26% less than the previous year.
     
 QuarterYear ended
June 2019September 2019September 2018September 2019
Number of disputes    
 Commenced in period (no.)3435151154
 Total (no.)4443172163
Employees involved    
 Newly involved ('000)18.816.846.569.0
 Total ('000)20.217.548.972.2
Working days lost ('000)17.617.8111.682.9

Tables

1 Industrial disputes which occured during the quarter

 Number of disputesEmployees involved 
Commenced in periodTotalNewly involvedTotalWorking days lost
no.no.'000'000'000
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
September Quarter 2019354316.817.517.8

2 Industrial disputes which occured during the quarter, industry

 June Quarter 2019September Quarter 2019
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
Mining    
 Coal mining--npnp
 Other mining----
Manufacturing    
 Metal product etc(a)npnp0.20.5
 Other manufacturingnpnp2.44.7
Construction9.910.51.81.9
Transport, postal and warehousing1.32.43.35.7
Education and training; Health care and social assistance1.10.46.72.5
Other industries(a)3.70.6npnp
All industries17.61.517.81.5

- 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

 June Quarter 2019September Quarter 2019
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
New South Wales3.40.95.51.5
Victoria7.82.53.21.0
Queensland5.22.32.81.2
South Australianpnp6.28.3
Western Australianpnpnpnp
Tasmania1.04.4npnp
Northern Territorynpnp--
Australian Capital Territorynpnp--
Australia17.61.517.81.5

- 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

 March Quarter 2019June 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      
 Remuneration71.14.5103.92.8
 Employment conditions (EB)162.26.2143.48.3
 Other EB related------
Non-EB related      
 Remuneration1npnp---
 Employment conditions---1npnp
 Health and safety94.36.35npnp
 Job security---10.1-
 Managerial policy---1npnp
 Union issues1npnp---
 Other Non EB related---411.47.3
Total347.617.03620.219.7
WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED
Up to and including 1 day144.93.41917.711.4
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days60.91.7101.72.4
Over 2 and less than 5 days70.92.760.83.1
5 and less than 10 days40.75.2---
10 days and over30.24.010.12.9
Total347.617.03620.219.7
REASON WORK RESUMED
Negotiation without intervention of a third party4npnp20.31.1
State legislation---10.10.1
Federal legislation20.43.3---
Pre-determined return to work223.18.92919.115.0
Resumption without negotiation50.50.430.70.6
Mediation1npnp10.12.9
Other reasons------
Total347.617.03620.219.7

- 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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