Fiji

Organization responsible for the statisics

The statistics are collected, compiled and published by the Ministry of Employment and Industrial Relations.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: Revolving or rotating strikes are not included.

Minimum threshold None.

Economic activities

No particular branches of economic activity or sectors are excluded.

Workers

Workers directly involved only. As well as regular paid employees, including part-time workers, the statistics cover temporary, casual and seasonal workers. Workers laid off, or absent on leave for any reason during the action are not included.

No particular occupational groups are excluded.

Geogrpahic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Strike

The cessation of work by a body of employees acting in combination, or a concerted refusal or a refusal under a common understanding of any number of employees to continue to work for an employer, done as a means of compelling their employer or any employee or body of employees, or to aid other employees in compelling their employer or an employee or body of employees to accept or not to accept terms or conditions of or affecting employment.

Lockout

The closing of a place of employment or the suspension of work, or the refusal of an employer to continue to employ any number of persons employed by him, done in consequence of a trade dispute not with the intention of finally determining employment but with a view to compelling those persons, or to aid another employer in compelling persons employed by him, to accept terms or conditions of or affecting employment.

These definitions come from the Trade Disputes Act (1976).

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike or lockout is the case of dispute and the economic unit. The resumption of a strike or lockout that is interrupted but later begins again, still due to the same case of dispute is treated as a new strike or lockout.

Work stoppages resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same enterprise, are regarded as one strike or lockout; when occurring at different times, they are counted as a separate strike or lockout each time. Those resulting from the same case of dispute, occurring in establishments of different enterprises, whether simultaneously or at different times, are regarded as separate strikes or lockouts.

Economic units involved

The economic unit is the unit, defined as any business, trade, manufacture, undertaking or calling of employers; any calling, service employment, handicraft or industrial occupation or vocation of employees; or a branch of an industry and or group of industries.

Workers involved

The number of workers involved is the maximum number of workers that took part during the course of the stoppage, even if some workers participated for only part of the duration. Part-time workers are converted to full-time equivalents.

Duration

The duration is measured from the date the action began in the first economic unit involved to the date it terminated in the last one. It is measured in actual workdays (excluding public holidays, etc.). A workshift of eight hours is counted as one workday.

Time not worked

Total time 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. The shorter working hours of part-time workers are taken into account, computed as part of a full work day. Overtime is not taken into account.

Classifications

Cause of dispute

Method of settlement

Branch of economic activity

The data are classified by branch of economic activity using the Fiji Standard Industrial Classification, which is based on ISIC (1968).

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled and published for periods of one year. They relate only to action beginning during the particular reference period.

Analytical measures

None.

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Ministry of Employment and Industrial Relations: Annual Report (annual);

Idem: News Release (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.

Confidnetiality

Not available.

International standards

Not available.

Methods of data collection

For essential services (listed below), there is a legal obligation for the trade union concerned to report planned strike action, giving 28 days' notice, to the Permanent Secretary for Employment and Industrial Relations. The following are classed as essential services: water, electricity, health, hospital, sanitary, air traffic control, civil aviation telecommunication, meteorological, fire, telecommunications and telegraph, air-sea rescue, emergency services in times of national disaster, light-house, mine pumping, ventilation and winding, air transport, port and dock services (stevedoring and lightering, loading and unloading and despatch of cargo) and necessary transport services, supply and distribution of fuel, petrol, oil, power and light essential to maintenance of the above services.

The report should specify: the parties to the dispute, the place where the dispute exists, the party making the report, each matter over which the dispute has arisen, and steps taken to obtain settlement.

For strikes and lockouts occurring in other economic activities, there is no legal reporting obligation. Information is obtained by direct enquiries made following reports in the media.