By Lynford Simpson, Staff Reporter 
Peart
STATISTICS AVAILABLE from the Labour and Social Security Ministry points to a reduction in the number of industrial disputes reported last year when compared to 2000.
While work stoppages were also down, 14 compared to 28 in the previous year, the construction industry was severely hit, losing 9,160 man-days as a result of the interruptions. Agriculture, forestry and fishing lost a combined 3,000 man-days as a result of stoppages.
The information which is contained in the Ministry's Statistical Bulletin, 2001, which was recently tabled in Parliament, reveals that the number of disputes reported moved from 155 in 2000 to 120 last year, a 22.6 per cent drop. Dean Peart, the Minister with portfolio responsibility, also pointed to the figures during his recent contribution to the 2002/2003 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.
The community, social and personal services accounted for 24.2 per cent of reported disputes while manufacturing accounted for 22.5 per cent.
These are followed by the financial, insurance, real estate and business services sector with 13.3 per cent, and electricity, gas and water with 10 per cent.
According to the bulletin, the leading cause of industrial disputes during 2001 was wages and conditions of employment which accounted for 40 or 33.3 per cent of the disputes. This category was closely followed by dismissals and suspensions with 38 or 31.7 per cent.
With 18, the month of April saw the largest number of disputes being reported. January followed with 15 and March 14.
Among unions, the National Workers Union (NWU) with 36, had the largest number of disputes reported to the Ministry. The Bustamante Industrial Trade Union came next with 28 and the University and Allied Workers Union was third with 16.
Last year 31 disputes were brought forward as unresolved. Of the 120 disputes reported last year, 77 or 51 per cent were settled, while 14 were referred to the Industrial Disputes Tribunal. Twenty-three were returned to the local level.
"The leading cause of work stoppages during the period was wages and conditions of employment, registering 78.6 per cent of the total," the bulletin said. It noted that stoppages related to layoffs, transfers, redundancies and other miscellaneous causes decreased, accounting for 21.4 per cent.
The NWU was involved in the highest number of work stoppages, six or 42.9 per cent. This was a reduction from the previous year's number of 10. Of the work stoppages recorded in the essential services, three occurred in electricity and one in port services.
Additionally, there was a 47.8 per cent decline in the number of representational rights polls conducted by the Ministry. The figure moved from 23 in 2000 to 12 at the end of 2001. However, the number of workers involved in the polls increased to 2,357, an increase of 17.6 per cent.
