Denmark

Organization responsible for the statistics

The statistics are collected by the Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening (Danish Employers' Confederation) and other employers' associations, and compiled and published by Danmarks Statistik.

Objectives and users

Not availbale.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: Working to rule, go-slows, overtime bans and sit-ins are not included.

Minimum threshold A total of at least 100 workdays not worked.

Economic activities

No particular branches of economic activity or sectors are excluded.

Workers

Workers directly involved and workers indirectly involved. In addition to regular paid employees, including part-time workers, the statistics cover temporary, casual and seasonal workers. Unpaid family workers are not included, nor are workers laid off or workers absent on sick or annual leave or absent for any other reason.

No particular occupational groups are excluded from the statistics.

Other

The statistics concern data from employers belonging to one of the employers' associations; these data represent between 70% and 80% of total statistics.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Work stoppage

An open conflict between two labour market parties between whom there is a relation of dependence (no differentiation is made between stoppages initiated by different parties).

This definition is derived from labour sociology.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike or lockout is the economic unit (the establishment).

A strike or lockout which is interrupted but later resumed, still due to the same case of dispute, is counted as a new action.

Work stoppages arising from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same firm are counted according to the number of strike reports submitted. The practice is not uniform. In some instances, one form is submitted per firm; in others, a form may be submitted for each establishment in a firm. The number is counted accordingly. Most firms are likely to use one form.

For stoppages arising from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in establishments of different firms, if the action is in connection with collective agreement negotiations (every second year), it is counted as one in each different branch of economic activity involved; otherwise it is counted separately for each firm involved.

Work stoppages resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring at different times either in different establishments of the same firm or in establishments of different firms, are counted separately for each occurrence.

Workers involved

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

Duration

Duration is measured in workdays from the date the action began in the first economic unit involved to the date it terminated in the last one, or from the date it began in one economic unit up to the date it ended in the same economic unit, depending on the method of measurement used (see above).

Time not worked

Total time not worked is measured in workdays as the product of the number of workers involved (workers directly and indirectly involved) and the duration. The shorter working hours of part-time workers are taken into account: one day for a part-time worker is counted as half a day not worked; time not worked for part-time workers is assessed in parallel and converted to full-time equivalents. Overtime is not taken into account.

Classifications

Branch of economic activity

The statistics are classified by branch of economic activity using a national classification based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC). In the case of general strikes, one strike is counted per branch of economic activity involved.

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled for periods of a quarter and a year, and published for periods of a year. Information collected refers to strikes and lockouts 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

Danmarks Statistik: Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik (News from Danmarks Statistik) (monthly);

Idem: Statistisk Årbog (Statistical Yearbook) (annual);

Idem: Statistiske Efterretninger, Arbejdsmarked (Statistical News, Labour Market) (monthly);

Idem: Statistisk Ti-Årsoversigt (Statistical ten-year review) (annual).

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 a lockout. The employers' associations, principally the Dansk Arbejdsgiverforening (Danish Employers' Confederation), provide data from their member employers; Danmarks Statistik receives this information once a year.