Tuesday, January 17, 2023

UK
More than 450,000 working days lost due to strike action in November 2022, highest for a decade

Mon, 16 January 2023 



There were 467,000 working days lost to strike action in November 2022, official figures show, bringing the number of strike days in 2022 to a 30-year high.

The loss in days due to labour disputes in the month is the highest since November 2011.

The total number of strike days lost to strike action between June to November 2022 was 1,628,000, the Office for National Statistics said.

It means that 2022 had the greatest number of strike days since 1990, when 1.9 million work days were lost to strike action.

Figures released in December had already showed that 2022 had lost the greatest number of days in more than a decade, even though data for the full year had yet to be released.

It has not been since 2011, when public sector workers walked out over pension reforms, that as many days were lost. Across that year, there were 1.4 million strike days.

The numbers pale in comparison to the winter of discontent in 1979 when 29.5 million work days were lost to strikes.

That year recorded the greatest number of strike days, with the ONS reporting 1984 had the second-highest number - with 27.1 million days lost, followed by 1972 with 23.9 million.

Throughout last year, industrial action was taken by a range of industries across the economy.

Rail workers have been engaged in walkouts since the summer, healthcare workers across the NHS have signalled they are committed to strikes and civil servants - including teachers - as well as private sector baggage handlers and postal workers all went on strike through 2022.

This year looks to be no different as the majority of disputes trundle on with no end in sight.

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