More than 4 million working days misplaced since strikes started
T
he variety of working days misplaced because the present interval of strike motion started has handed 4 million, new figures present.
Some 4.1 million days are estimated to have been misplaced in labour disputes within the UK from June 2022 to June 2023 – the very best for any 13-month interval since July 1989 to July 1990, when 5.0 million have been misplaced.
Data for final month’s strikes by junior docs, hospital consultants, academics and rail employees has but to be compiled.
Further strikes this month by docs, consultants and rail employees will push the cumulative complete even larger.
The figures have been revealed by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and embody provisional numbers for June 2023.
The current spell of commercial motion kicked off in June 2022 when members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) staged their first stoppage in a dispute over pay, jobs and situations.
It was quickly adopted by a sequence of high-profile strikes starting from barristers, civil servants and college lecturers to postal employees, driving examiners, nurses and ambulance employees.
While many disputes have now been settled, some stay unresolved together with these involving junior docs and the RMT.
December 2022 noticed essentially the most working days misplaced in a single month in the course of the present interval of strike motion, at 829,000.
This is the very best month-to-month complete since November 2011, when 997,000 have been misplaced.
It can also be the second highest complete since July 1989, when 2.4 million have been misplaced.
More than half (54%) of the working days misplaced from June 2022 to June 2023 have been in transport, storage and communication industries, in accordance with evaluation by the PA news company.
This displays the frequency of rail strikes, along with recurring disputes involving Border Force employees and driving instructors.
Nearly 1 / 4 (23%) have been to do with schooling, 11% well being and social work and eight% public administration.
More days have been misplaced within the non-public sector (2.2 million) than the general public sector (1.9 million), although the proportions have assorted from month to month.
In December 2022, the month with the very best variety of working days misplaced, 80% have been within the non-public sector, pushed primarily by the amount of disputes within the rail and postal industries.
But in March 2023, which noticed the second highest month-to-month complete, 89% of days misplaced have been within the public sector, reflecting a wave of strikes involving civil servants, junior docs and academics.
March additionally noticed the very best variety of particular person employees concerned in disputes, at 303,000, whereas December noticed round half that determine, at 155,000 employees.
Disputes affecting London and north-west England collectively accounted for almost a 3rd (31%) of all working days misplaced within the 13 months to June this yr.
There have been 679,300 days misplaced in London (17% of the overall) and 579,200 (14%) within the North West.
South-east England noticed the subsequent highest quantity, at 499,000 days (12%), adopted by Scotland (470,900, additionally 12%).
Northern Ireland recorded the fewest days misplaced, 138,600, accounting for simply 3% of the UK complete.