KEY POINTS:
Estimated wage and salary losses from work stoppages rose in the September quarter from the previous three months, but were down on the same period a year earlier.
Figures published today by Statistics New Zealand (SNZ) put the estimated losses in the September 2006 quarter at $1.7 million, with 11,641 person-days of work lost in 10 stoppages involving 1727 employees.
In June 2006 estimated losses were $1.5 million, from 5107 person-days lost, involving 2578 employees in 10 stoppages.
For the September 2005 quarter estimated losses were $2.4m from 12,979 person-days lost, involving 5847 employees in 21 stoppages.
For the year to September 2006 there were 49 work stoppages, involving 12,508 employees, a loss of 26,198 person-days and $4.7m in wages and salaries.
In comparison, the 52 work stoppages in the year to September 2005 involved 13,255 employees, a loss of 24,731 person-days and $4m in wages and salaries.
Work stoppage numbers had declined from annual levels of above 400 in the late 1970s, to relatively steady levels of under 100 since the 1990s, SNZ said.
- NZPA
