In 2019, 319 thousand employees were involved in strikes, the highest number since these statistics began in 1901. 2019 was also the record year in relation to the employed labor force. In contrast, the number of working days lost due to strikes was not exceptionally high in the same year. This is reported by CBS. In the context of its 125th anniversary, CBS is paying extra attention to historical developments this year.
Even when population growth is taken into account, the vast majority of employees were involved in strikes in 2019: 4.0 percent of the total employed labor force. There were massive strikes, especially in education and healthcare, which employ many workers. In these industries, relatively many employees were dissatisfied with the collective labor agreement and the salary.
There were also many strikes in the 1920s, culminating in 1920, in which 2.5 percent of the active labor force was involved. There were also many strikers after the Second World War. In 1946 the percentage was 2.0 percent. There were also relatively many strikes in 1960, 1970 and 2017.
In the past, more working days were lost during strikes
Although 2019 was the year with the highest number of workers involved in strikes, it was not the year with the most working days lost. The major strikes in 2019 were relatively short, meaning few days were lost. In 1995, almost twice as many working days were lost (692 thousand).
Further back in time, there were years with many more lost working days, even though there were far fewer employees at the time. Apparently strikes lasted longer then. This is especially true of the 1920s. The peak was in 1924, when no fewer than 3.2 million working days were lost due to strikes. 27.1 thousand employees were involved in these strikes, approximately 1 percent of the employed labor force.
Number of strikes not exceptionally high in 2019
The number of strikes was also not particularly high in 2019. That year there were 26 different strikes. The number of strikes was much higher in the 1920s than in the recent past. The record year was 1919 with 649 different strikes. Workers often strike in the hope of better collective labor agreements and the introduction of the 8-hour working day. There were also relatively many strikes shortly after the Second World War.
Highest percentage of union members in the 1970s and 1980s
Trade unions regularly play an important role in strikes. In the 1970s to the early 1980s, the share of people who were members of a trade union was by far the highest. The record year was 1978, when 36 percent of the employed labor force belonged to a union. That amounts to 1.8 million union members. After that, the share continued to decline, to 17 percent in 2023. This decline is mainly because few younger people become members of a trade union.
Source: CBS
Tags: strikers Netherlands
