Israel

Organization responsible for the statistics

Since 1971, the statistics have been collected and compiled by the Labour Relations Division of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in collaboration with the Institute for Economic and Social Research of the Histadrut, with the advisory cooperation of the Central Bureau of Statistics between 1971 and 1980. The data are published by the Ministry and the Central Bureau of Statistics.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: The last four categories are included as partial strikes (slow-downs).

Political or protest strikes are not included.

Minimum threshold From 1972, a total of at least ten days not worked for total strikes and lockouts, and lasting at least two hours for both total and partial strikes.

Economic activities

Non-military security forces and the army are excluded

Workers

Workers directly involved only. In addition to regular paid employees, the statistics cover temporary, casual and seasonal workers. Unpaid family workers are not included.

No particular occupational groups are excluded.

Geographic areas

Not available.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Strike or lockout

A temporary work stoppage by any group of employees (or employers) caused by a labour dispute connected with employer-employee relations.

Slow-down

Temporary interference with normal work process, due to labour disputes in connection with employer-worker relations.

These are working definitions for statistical purposes, which come from the Settlement of Labour Disputes Law, 5717-1957.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike or lockout is the case of dispute, in combination with the economic unit, which may be the establishment, local workplace, enterprise or firm. If a strike or lockout is interrupted but later resumed, still due to the same labour dispute, it is treated as a continuation of the same strike or lockout if the interruption does not last more than two weeks.

Stoppages due to the same case of dispute (cause, union, etc.) occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same enterprise are treated as the same strike or lockout, as are stoppages occurring at different times in different establishments of the same establishment, due to the same dispute, if the interval between the different occurrences is less than two weeks. If stoppages due to the same dispute occur simultaneously in establishments of different enterprises, they are treated as one strike or lockout. If different unions or work committees are involved, they are treated as separate strikes or lockouts, as are stoppages occurring at different times in establishments of different enterprises.

Economic units involved

The economic unit may be the firm, enterprise, local workplace or establishment.

Workers involved

Information not available.

Duration

The duration is measured in workdays (with a shift being taken as one workday), from the date the strike or lockout began in the first economic unit involved to the date it terminated in the last one.

Time not worked

The amount of time not worked is measured in workdays as the product of the number of workers involved and the duration. Overtime and the shorter working hours of part-time workers are not taken into account.

Classifications

Cause of dispute

Outcome of dispute

Method of settlement

Branch of economic activity

With the exception of those concerning widespread strikes, the statistics are classified according to branch of economic activity, using the Standard Classification of All Economic Activities, 1970, of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. This is based on the United Nations International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities, Rev. 2, 1968. Widespread strikes are classified under the category more than one branch of economic activity.

Occupational group

The Standard Classification of Occupations, 1972, of the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics is used. This is based on the ILO International Standard Classification of Occupations, 1968.

Number of workers involved

Duration

Time not worked

(in workdays)

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled with respect to each quarter, six months and year, and are published once a year. They relate only to strikes and lockouts beginning during the reference period.

Analytical measures

Percentage distributions of duration, number of workers involved, cause of dispute and branch of economic activity.

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs: Annual Report of Industrial Relations in Israel and the Activities of the Labour Relations Division for the year.

Central Bureau of Statistics: Statistical Abstract of Israel (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 a legal obligation to report the occurrence of a strike or lockout. Employers, trade unions, and any others involved are required to report general information to the Division of Labour Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Until 1965, data were based on reports submitted to the Research Department of the Histadrut's executive committee by the workers' councils. These reports referred to work stoppages directly caused by work disputes between employees and employers.

Since 1966, data have been collected by means of questionnaires addressed to the enterprises where strikes or lockouts occurred. Information about the occurrence of strikes or lockouts is obtained through newspaper reports and through announcements of labour disputes made to the Labour Relations officers by the parties to the disputes.