Sweden

Organization responsible for the statistics

The statistics are collected and compiled by the National Conciliator's Office, and published by Statistics Sweden.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

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

Minimum threshold Total time not worked of at least 8 workhours, even if only 8 persons stop work for one hour each.

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 absent on sick or annual leave, or absent for other reasons, for example, various kinds of leave of absence, educational or training leave, etc. are included, but not unpaid family workers or workers laid off.

No particular occupational groups are excluded.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

Strike

Direct action taken by employees and consisting in a joint stoppage of work for a certain length of time in order to exert pressure on the opposite number.

Lockout

Direct action taken by employers and entailing the exclusion of employees from the workplace for a certain length of time, in order to exert pressure on the opposite number.

There are no statutory definitions of these terms. The definitions come from the travaux préparatoires for labour market legislation, which delimit the direct action concept with reference to the outward nature of direct action, its purpose and the person or persons taking the action.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

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

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

Workers involved

The number of workers involved is the average of the number of posts temporarily unoccupied on each day as a result of the strike or lockout. Part-time workers are counted as individuals on the same basis as full-time workers.

Duration

The duration is measured in workdays 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

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 not taken into account, nor is overtime.

Classifications

Branch of economic activity

The statistics are classified by branch of economic activity using the Swedish Standard Classification (SNI) of all economic activities, at the 1-digit level.

Type of dispute

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled for periods of a month and a year, and are published for periods of a year. They refer only to strikes and lockouts beginning during the particular reference period.

Analytical measures

None.

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Statistics Sweden: Statistical Abstract of Sweden (annual).

Nordic Council of Ministers and the Nordic Statistical Secretariat: Year Book of Nordic Statistics.

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 obtained following reports in newspapers and other media.