The Classification and Interpretation of Strike Statistics

During the recent strike wave, Britain and other industrial market economies experienced a marked increase in the annual total number of working days lost through stoppages. A question arises, however, as to the validity of these comparisons, and the true meaning of strike statistics. There has been substantial controversy in recent years on the validity of making international comparisons of strike behaviour. All the conceptual and practical problems involved in strike statistics come to the surface when these comparisons are made. It is likely that statistics from different countries will be subject to differing national minimum definitions, and will be based on different answers to the question: What is a strike?