More than 26,000 production days were lost through strikes in the second quarter of 1999, compared with 2,033 in the first quarter. The main reason for the increase was the protracted scaffolders' strike, which accounted for 21,850 days.
The figure for the second quarter of this year, at 26,158, is the highest quarterly figure in two years. Over the first six months of 1999, 28,191 days were lost through industrial action compared with 20,896 in the first half of 1999.