GERMANY: NO SINGLE DAY OF STRIKE IN FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 2010

German workers have grown tired of strikes and walk-outs and are now working harder than ever. It was revealed by the German Institute for Economic Research (IW) which reported that, for the first time in the last 5 years, not a single day of strike was called anywhere in the country in the first half of 2010.

An expert at IW, Hagen Lesch, told newspaper Bild that recent contract bargaining talks mainly focused on the issue of job security rather than on pay rises. Industrial disputes were settled without major problems even in the engineering industry. Lesch pointed out that “unless new labour disputes arise later this year, 2010 will be the first fully strike-free year since 2000 “.

Two days of strike per every 1,000 workers were reported in 2009, 4 days in 2008, nine in 2007 and 13 in 2006. According to IW, the decline in the number of labour actions may be explained by rising fears among employees and workers of losing their own jobs.