Measuring the 2022–2023 strike wave in Britain: ballots, participation and methodological implications

Abstract

This paper analyses new forms of strike data published as a result of the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act. An unintended consequence of the Act is that we now have quantifiable data at the micro level, which has previously been unavailable, that helps us understand the various mechanisms at play in individual strikes. We analyse two disputes from the 2022-2023 strike wave in detail (in NHS England and on the UK's rail system), and provide the first academic analysis of these new forms of strike data. The aim of the paper is to examine what these new forms of data can tell us about strikes using examples of two disputes. While the paper is not designed to be an in-depth study of the strikes themselves, the use of these novel forms of data enable new insights into membership participation in strikes, and builds upon long-standing analyses of the relative power resources of unions.