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Do strikes pay?

Ingram, P., Metcalf, David and Wadsworth, Jonathan (1992) Do strikes pay? CEPDP (92). London School of Economics and Political Science. Centre for Economic Performance, London, UK.

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Abstract

One-in-forty manufacturing settlements involved a strike during the 1980s. Strike days lost were equivalent to half a day for each worker in manufacturing. On average, for the decade as a whole, real pay increases where there was a strike were 0,7 per cent a year higher than settlements without a strike. Larger bargaining groups were more likely to achieve above average pay increases from strike action than were bargaining groups with fewer employees. After controlling for other influences on settlements a strike is found to boost the annual real pay rise by 0.3 per cent, equivalent to 45 pounds a year in 1991. The "average" strike in this sample lasts 11 days. Such a strike requires the wage gain for 30 years (with a discount rate of .06 or less) for the benefit to at least equal the cost. This hints that the average strike may not be a good investment for the union. But shorter strikes are more likely to be worthwhile.

Item Type: Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL: http://cep.lse.ac.uk
Additional Information: © 1992 the authors
Divisions: Centre for Economic Performance
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Date Deposited: 20 Aug 2008 15:43
Last Modified: 15 Sep 2023 22:39
URI: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/21035

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