The
number of UK companies hit by strike action has almost doubled in the past
year, a new survey reveals.
The
research, carried out by law firm DLA, shows that one business in five was
affected by strikes in the year to July – nearly twice as many as in the
previous 12 months.
DLA
said the survey highlights a sharp deterioration in industrial relations,
particularly over pay, working conditions and job security.
"Following
a decade of relatively benign conditions, the UK appears to be in a period of
general decline in terms of the levels of industrial unrest and its impact on
the economy," said David Bradley, DLA’s head of employment law.
The
survey also reveals that half the UK’s employers are bracing themselves for
further industrial unrest in the year ahead.
The
DLA survey follows a warning from the CBI that an increase in trade union
militancy is slowing the pace of public service reform and jeopardising the
UK’s economic competitiveness.
