§ Mr. Prescottasked the Paymaster General what criteria his Department uses to define a strike for the purposes of the statistics of the numbers of working days lost due to industrial disputes.
§ Mr. LangThe statistics relate to stoppages of work in the United Kingdom due to industrial disputes between employers and workers, or between workers and other workers, connected with terms and conditions of employment. No distinction is made between lawful and unlawful stoppages, and both are included in the statistics.
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§ Mr. LangThe available information is as follows:
Disputes which do not result in a stoppage of work--for example, work-to-rules and go-slows — are not included in the statistics, as their effects are not readily quantifiable. Stoppages involving fewer than 10 workers or lasting less than one day are excluded, unless the total number of working days lost in the dispute is greater than 100.
In measuring the number of working days lost, account is taken of the time lost in the basic working week by workers both directly and indirectly involved at the establishments where the dispute occurred; workers indirectly involved are those who are not themselves parties to the dispute but are unable to work as a result of the dispute. Overtime work is not included and neither is weekend working where this is not normal. Allowance is made for public and known annual holidays — for example, factory fortnights.
In disputes where an employer dismisses his employees and replaces them with another work force, it is assumed that no further working days are being lost once the new work force is recruited.