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Industrial Disputes, Australia

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The number of disputes (strikes or lockouts), employees involved and working days lost; cause of dispute; duration; and the reason work resumed

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Reference period
September 2020
Released
3/12/2020
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Key statistics

In the September quarter 2020:

  • 21 disputes occurred.
  • 4,300 employees were involved and 11,700 working days lost.
  • disputes occurred in 4 industries and in 6 states.

During the year ended September 2020, there were 82 disputes and a total of 29,500 working days lost.

Main features

Quarterly estimates

  • 21 disputes occurred, 10 more than from the previous quarter.
  • 4,300 employees were involved, an increase from 1,100 in the previous quarter.
  • 11,700 working days were lost, an increase from 1,500 in the previous quarter.
  • More than eight in ten (81%) working days lost were in the Transport, postal and warehousing industry.
  • More than five in ten (52%) working days lost were in New South Wales.
     

Year ended estimates

  • 82 disputes occurred, 81 less than in the previous year.
  • 29,500 working days were lost, 64% less than the previous year.
     
 QuarterYear ended
June 2020September 2020September 2019September 2020
Number of disputes    
 Commenced in period (no.)

8

1915478
 Total (no.)

11

2116382
Employees involved    
 Newly involved ('000)

0.9

4.26916.3
 Total ('000)

1.1

4.372.216.9
Working days lost ('000)1.511.782.929.5

 

Tables

1 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter
 Number of disputesEmployees involved 
 Commenced in periodTotalNewly involvedTotalWorking days lost
 no.no.'000'000'000
September Quarter 2018

44

51

13.6

13.8

47.4

December Quarter 2018

53

62

25.6

28.8

30.9

March Quarter 2019

32

44

7.8

9.3

16.6

June Quarter 2019

34

44

18.8

20.2

17.6

September Quarter 2019

35

43

16.8

17.5

17.8

December Quarter 2019

34

38

8.3

8.8

12.4

March Quarter 2020

17

23

2.9

4.0

3.9

June Quarter 2020

8

11

0.9

1.1

1.5

September Quarter 202019214.24.311.7

 

 

2 Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, industry
 June Quarter 2020September Quarter 2020
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
Mining    
 Coal mining

-

-

-

-

 Other mining

-

-

-

-

Manufacturing    
 Metal product etc(a)

-

-

-

-

 Other manufacturing0.6

1.2

1.4

2.8

Constructionnpnp

0.7

0.8

Transport, postal and warehousing0.81.6

9.5

17.7

Education and training; Health care and social assistancenpnp

-

-

Other industries(a)--

0.1

-

All industries1.5

0.1

11.7

1.0

- 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 2020September Quarter 2020
Working days lostWorking days lost per thousand employeesWorking days lostWorking days lost per thousand employees
'000no.'000no.
NSW

np

np

6.01.7
Vic.

1.0

0.4

3.61.2
Qld

np

np

1.40.6
SA

-

-

npnp
WA

-

-

npnp
Tas.

-

-

npnp
NT

-

-

--
ACT

-

-

--
Australia

1.5

0.1

11.71.0

- 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 2020June Quarter 2020
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      
 Remuneration

4

0.2

0.3

---
 Employment conditions (EB)

12

3.4

3.6

30.42.7
 Other EB related

-

-

-

---
Non-EB related      
 Remuneration

-

-

-

---
 Employment conditions

-

-

-

---
 Health and safety

3

0.2

0.1

3npnp
 Job security

-

-

-

---
 Managerial policy

1

0.1

0.1

10.1-
 Union issues

-

-

-

2npnp
 Other Non EB related

-

-

-

---
Total203.84.1

9

1.1

3.3

  WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED
Up to and including 1 day13

3.3

2.7

6npnp
Over 1 day and up to including 2 days

4

0.4

0.6

---
Over 2 and less than 5 days

1

np

np

2npnp
5 and less than 10 days

1

np

np

---
10 days and over

1

np

np

10.12.4
Total

20

3.8

4.1

9

1.1

3.3

  REASON WORK RESUMED
Negotiation without intervention of a third party

2

np

np1npnp
State legislation

-

-

-

---
Federal legislation

-

-

-

---
Pre-determined return to work

16

3.7

3.5

30.42.7
Resumption without negotiation

-

-

-

5npnp
Mediation

1

np

np

---
Other reasons

1

np

np

---
Total

20

3.8

4.1

9

1.1

3.3

- 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

Data files
Download xls [86 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [103 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [101 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [150.5 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [140 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [335 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [149.5 KB]

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

Data files
Download xls [257.5 KB]

All data cubes

Data files
Download zip [404.14 KB]

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used catalogue number 6321.0.55.001.

Methodology

Industrial Disputes, Australia methodology, September 2020