Belgium

Organization responsible for the statistics

Institut national de statistique.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover:

Data concerning sympathetic strikes are recorded, collected and published separately.

Excluding: working to rule and overtime bans.

Minimum threshold

None.

Economic activities

Private sector only.

Workers

Paid employees.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

(Working definitions for statistical purposes.)

Strike

A dispute giving rise to a work stoppage, whether continuous or intermittent (débrayage), effected by workers.

Lockout

A dispute leading to a work stoppage imposed on workers, effected by an employer.

Social dispute or strike (conflit social or grève)

A labour dispute giving rise to a work stoppage (strike or lockout).

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike or lockout is the economic unit. The continuation of a strike or lockout that is interrupted but later resumes, still due to the same case of dispute, is counted as a new strike or lockout.

Work stoppages resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in different establishments or local units of the same enterprise, are counted as one strike or lockout. Those resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring in the same enterprise but at different times, are counted as separate strikes or lockouts. Those resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously or at different times in different enterprises are also counted as separate strikes or lockouts.

Establishments

The reference unit is the establishment or local unit. If several local units of the same enterprise are involved in a strike or lockout at the same time, because of the same dispute, the enterprise is considered to be the economic unit.

Workers involved

The number of workers involved relates to workers directly involved (strikers or workers who were unable to work in the case of a lockout) and workers indirectly involved (the involuntary unemployed: workers who did not take part in the strike or lockout but who could not work because of it). It includes part-time workers, the statistics cover temporary, casual and seasonal workers, but not unpaid family workers, self-employed workers, workers laid off and workers absent on sick or annual leave or absent for any other reason.

The average number of workers involved (strikers and involuntary unemployed) is obtained by dividing the total number of days not worked by the total duration in terms of working days. The number of part-time workers is converted to full-time equivalents.

Duration

The duration is measured in workdays. If the economic unit is the establishment, the duration is measured from the date the strike or lockout began up to the date it terminated in the establishment involved. In the case of an enterprise with several establishments involved in a strike or lockout, all in the same industry and due to the same dispute, but occurring at different times, the duration is measured separately for each establishment.

Days not worked

Total days not worked is measured in workdays by ascertaining the total amount of time not worked on each day of the strike or lockout, and summing these totals. In the case of intermittent strikes (débrayages), short stoppages or strikes or lockouts lasting less than one day, the total hours not worked are converted to workdays. Time not worked is calculated for workers directly involved only, but it can also be measured separately for workers indirectly involved (involuntary unemployed). The shorter working hours of part-time workers are taken into account: establishments are asked to take into consideration the work schedules in force when estimating the amount of time not worked. Overtime is not taken into account.

Classifications

Cause of dispute

These groups are divided into about 30 subgroups.

Economic activity

According to the NACE. In the case of general strikes, and in view of the difficulty involved in classifying detailed information by economic activity, an overall estimate is made covering all the activities involved.

Size of economic units involved

(number of workers in economic unit)

Duration

(in workdays)

Other

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled and published for periods of a month and a year. The number of strikes and lockouts and the number of workers involved refer to the month or year during which the strikes or lockouts began. The number of days not worked refers to strikes and lockout beginning during the particular month or year as well as those continuing from the previous month or year.

Analytical measures

None.

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Ministère des Affaires économiques, Institut national de Statistique: Bulletin de statistique (two-monthly);

Idem: Annuaire statistique de la Belgique (annual);

Idem: Statistiques sociales (quarterly).

Data published by the ILO

The number of strikes and lockouts, the number of workers involved and the number 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 or lockout. Information is collected by the Institut national de Statistique, which sends a questionnaire to the economic units involved in disputes, from a list established by the Ministère de l'Intérieur and based on police reports, or identified through the press (daily or periodical).