Survey on Labour Disputes 2012
Digest of the Summary Report
"Total disputes" improves on the record low , with 596 cases
22-Aug-2013 The results of the "Survey on Labour Disputes, 2012" have now been tabulated and released by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
The "Survey on Labour Disputes" is conducted to survey and identify the actual situation relating to labour disputes in Japan such as the nature of the action, number of participants and demands. The survey divides labour disputes into two broad categories, "disputes involving industrial action," where a dispute arising between a labour union or group of workers and a counterparty results in industrial action such as a strike, and "disputes with no industrial action," where no industrial action is involved and a third party such as a labour relations commission participates in the resolution. And the sum of these two categories is "total disputes" .
[Key Survey Results]
1 Number of disputes
There were 596 cases of "total disputes" (612 cases for the previous year), a reduction for the third consecutive year , and a record low since 1957 where comparable data is available.
【Table 1(PDF:17KB), Figure 1(PDF:26KB), Annex Table(PDF:25KB)】
2 Disputes involving industrial action
(1)The number of cases, total participants, and active participants all increased overall compared to the previous year .
Number of cases 79 cases (previously 57 cases)
Total participants 50,190 persons (previously 33,472 persons)
Active participants 12,361 persons (previously 8,604 persons)
(2)The number of strikes for half a day or longer increased compared to the previous year , while the number of active participants and working days lost decreased.
Number of cases 38 cases (previously 28 cases)
Total participants 1,233 persons (previously 1,674 persons)
Active participants 3,839 days (previously 4,378 days)
【Table 1(PDF:17KB), Table 2(PDF:17KB), Annex Table(PDF:25KB)】
3 Main demands
The main demands involved in disputes (multiple responses; total of 596 cases) were firstly matters relating to "wages" (268 cases), followed by "administration, employment and personnel" (241 cases), and "union security or collective agreements" (175 cases).
【Table 6(PDF:20KB)】
4 Resolution of labour disputes
520 cases of labour disputes were resolved within 2012 (including those deemed resolved) (previously 478 cases). Of those, 96 cases were resolved by "direct negotiation between labour and management" (previously 97 cases), and 209 cases were resolved with the participation of a third party (previously 178 cases).
【Table 7(PDF:52KB)】
See attached summary report for more details.
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