Canada ranks second in work stoppages

Only crisis-laden Iceland had higher average of lost days in past 10 years

Canada had the second highest number of days lost to work stoppages in the developing world between 1995 and 2004, according to a new British study.

In Canada, the average number of days lost per 1,000 employees averaged 193, compared to an average of 48 days among all industrialized countries, according to Britain's Office for National Statistics, which drew its data from the International Labour Organization and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Canada consistently had a high number of days lost over the 10-year study. All of the labour relations strife hasn't led to an increase in wages, with wages nearly stagnate in the past 20 years, according to the study.

In the same time, labour's share of the economy has fallen steadily and corporate profits have been running at all-time highs.

But, while Canada's number of days lost is higher than other countries, the strike rate has dropped since the 1970s and the amount of time lost to strikes represents only 0.1 per cent of the time Canadians spend on the job.

Iceland had the most days lost to work stoppages, but most of its strikes took place during a financial crisis in 2004.

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