UK strike habit spreads

Firefighters launched a round of strikes last November

The number of British firms hit by strike action has nearly doubled in the past year, according to a new survey.

The poll, carried out by law firm DLA, suggests 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 pointed to a sharp deterioration in industrial relations, with pay, working conditions and job security the most common cause of strike action.

"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.

Winter of discontent

And there is little sign that workers and bosses are patching up their differences, with half of employers bracing themselves for further industrial unrest in the year ahead.

Most employers said they had little confidence that managers and unions would be able to smooth over their dispute.

DLA warned unions were increasingly working together to co-ordinate industrial action, which could lead to a rise in the number of strikes in the months ahead.

The DLA survey follows a warning from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) that a rise in trade union militancy was slowing the pace of public service reform, and jeopardising the UK's economic competitiveness.

High profile industrial actions over the past year include a coordinated national strike by firefighters pushing for higher pay.