Sri Lanka

Organization responsible for the statistics

The statistics are collected, compiled and published by the Department of Labour.

Objectives and users

Not available.

Coverage

Strikes and lockouts

The statistics cover: Lockouts are not included in the statistics, nor are political strikes, rotating or revolving strikes, working to rule, go-slows, overtime bans or sit-ins.

Minimum threshold At least five workers involved and lasting at least one day, unless the total amount of time not worked is more than 50 workdays.

Economic activities

No specific branches of economic activity are excluded from the statistics.

Workers

Workers directly involved only. In addition to full-time regular paid employees, the statistics cover temporary and casual workers. Seasonal workers and unpaid family workers are not included, nor are employees laid off during a strike, absent on sick leave, absent on annual leave or absent for other reasons.

No particular occupational groups are excluded.

Geographic areas

Whole country.

Types of data collected

Concepts and definitions

No information available.

Methods of measurement

Strikes and lockouts

The basic unit of measurement used to record a strike is a work stoppage due to a particular labour dispute. If a stoppage is interrupted but later resumes, it is counted as a new strike when it resumes.

Work stoppages occurring simultaneously in different establishments of the same enterprise, due to the same labour dispute, are treated as the same strike. Stoppages occurring occurring at different times in different establishments of the same enterprise, due to the same labour dispute, at treated as different strikes. Stoppages occurring simultaneously or at different times in establishments of different enterprise are treated as different strikes.

Economic units involved

No information available.

Workers involved

The number of workers involved is the highest number of workers involved at any one time during the strike.

Duration

The duration is measured in workdays from the date the strike began in the first establishment involved up to the date it terminated in the last one.

Time not worked

The total amount of time not worked is measured in workdays, by ascertaining the amount of time not worked on each day of the strike, and summing these totals. No account is taken of overtime.

Classifications

Branch of economic activity

Reference period and periodicity

The statistics are compiled for periods of a month and a year. The number of strikes relates to those ending during the particular reference period, while the number of workers involved and the amount of time not worked refer to all strikes in progress during that period.

Analytical measures

None.

Historical background of the series

Not available.

Documentation

Series available

Not available.

Bibliographic references

Department of Labour: Sri Lanka Labour Gazette.

Central Bank of Ceylon: Central Bank Report.

Department of Census and Statistics: Statistical Abstract.

Data published by the ILO

The number of strikes, the number of workers involved and the number of days not worked, by economic activity.

Confidentiality

Not available.

International standards

Not available.

Methods of data collection

There is no legal obligation to report the occurrence of a strike. The regional officials of the Department of Labour are administratively required to notify their head office of occurrences of strikes or lockouts in their respective areas.