According to a study, the number of working days lost due to strikes has more than doubled in Germany. In many other countries, the figure is significantly higher.
The year 2023 was heavily marked by industrial disputes in Germany, but in international comparison the Federal Republic continues to rank in the lower middle range.
This is the result of a report published by the Economic and Social Science Institute (WSI) of the Hans Böckler Foundation, which has close ties to the trade unions. In other countries, the extent of the strikes is greater – the average number of lost working days per 1,000 employees over the past 10 years was significantly higher. Belgium has 103 days lost per year, France 92 (in the private sector alone), Finland 90 and Canada 83. In Germany, the figure is just 18 days.
Nevertheless, the willingness to strike in this country was comparatively high in 2023. The WSI recorded 312 industrial disputes and more than 850,000 strike participants. The number of lost working days was 1.5 million, twice as high as in 2022 (674). It is also the highest figure since 2015, when a total of around 2 million working days were struck. According to the study authors, the reason for the many strikes is the high inflation and the resulting real wage losses for employees.
2024 will again be a year of intensive labor disputes
The scientific director of the WSI, Bettina Kohlrausch, sees the large number of strike participants as a good sign. The commitment promotes the confidence “to be able to positively influence one’s own working and living conditions and thus also strengthens democracy in Germany.” 2024 is expected to be another year of intensive industrial action. According to the researchers, the fact that Germany is lagging behind internationally is due to the comparatively restrictive right to strike. In many countries, more extensive strikes are possible.
The WSI industrial action report is an estimate based on union information and media reports. Warning strikes are therefore not recorded by all unions, and strikes outside of collective bargaining are only reported in exceptional cases.
Source: Stern
