Austria

Organization responsible for the statistics

The statistics are collected by the craft unions and are compiled and published by Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund (ÖGB) (Austrian trade union federation).

Objectives and users

Not available. h3>Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: Unofficial or wildcat strikes (those not organized by trade unions) and lockouts (work stoppages initiated by employers) are not included in the statistics, nor are working to rule, go-slows, overtime bans or sit-ins.

Minimum threshold: None.

Economic activities

No particular branches of economic activity or sectors are excluded.

Workers

Workers directly involved only. The statistics refer to regular paid employees, and include seasonal workers. No distinction is made between part-time and full-time workers. Temporary and casual workers, unpaid family workers, workers laid off, and workers absent on sick or annual leave, or absent for any other reason are not included.

No particular occupational groups are excluded.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Strike

A work stoppage wilfully affected by a group or groups of workers (the statistics cover only those organized by trade unions).

Lockout

A work stoppage wilfully affected by a group or groups of employers.

These are working definitions.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike is in principle the economic unit (Wirtschaftseinheit) i.e. the establishment (Betrieb) or the enterprise composed of several establishments.

If the strike covers the whole branch of economic activity, the stoppages in the various establishments or enterprises may (but need not) be counted as one strike at the branch level, which is then counted separately. Public service is an exception; in this case, as the State is the employer, the branch (and not the department) is the unit of measurement.

Work stoppages arising from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same firm are counted as separate strikes. Those resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in establishments of different firms or enterprises, are in principle counted separately, but they can be counted as one strike if a whole branch is affected. If work stoppages occur in different units of an enterprise and these are in one branch of economic activity, they are counted as one strike in the enterprise. If an entrepreneur has a number of enterprises which belong to the same branch of economic activity, work stoppages in the various enterprises are counted as one strike in the federal strike statistics covering the whole of Austria. If the enterprises are in different federal Länder and the statistics are broken down according to the federal Länder, one strike per enterprise is registered.

Work stoppages arising from the same case of dispute, occurring at different times either in different establishments of the same firm, or in establishments of different firms or enterprises, are counted as separate strikes.

A strike interrupted which later resumes, still due to the same case of dispute, is counted as a new strike when it resumes.

Economic units involved

The economic unit is the establishment (Betrieb), defined as a unit of persons and productive equipment jointly operating to produce goods and services. A Betrieb may consist of several local units and belong to an enterprise or form an enterprise by itself.

Workers involved

The number of workers involved is the average of the number of full-day absences during the period of the strike. Part-time workers are counted as individuals on the same basis as full-time workers.

Duration

The duration is measured in terms of workhours.

Time not worked

Total time not worked is measured in workhours as the product of the number of workers involved and the duration. The shorter working hours of part-time workers are taken into account as time not worked by each person is measured in workhours. Overtime is not taken into account.

Classifications

Cause of dispute

Outcome of dispute

Branch of economic activity

The data are classified according to the 15 areas covered by the craft unions:

Type of dispute

Other

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled and published for periods of a year. They refer to strikes beginning during the particular reference period plus those continuing from the previous period.

Analytical measures

None

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Österreichischer Gewerkschaftsbund (ÖGB): Gewerkschaftlicher Nachrichtendienst (weekly);

Idem: Pressedienst (when required);

Idem: Tätigkeitsbericht (annual).

Österreichische Bundeskammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte, und ÖGB: Arbeit und Wirtschaft (monthly).

Data published by the ILO

The number of strikes, the number of workers involved, the number of days not worked and rates of days not worked,by economic activity.

Confidentiality

Not available.

International standards

Not available.

Methods of data collection

There is no legal obligation to report the occurrence of a strike. A standard form is used to report the strike to the craft union and to the ÖGB-Landesexekutive concerned; the reports are transmitted to the ÖGB which compiles and publishes the data.