ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the connexion between the car industry’s strike-liability and the fluctuations in its output—both cyclical and seasonal. For all countries for which statistics exist, strikes in general can be shown to be in some measure sensitive both to the trade cycle and to seasonal variations in economic activity. In particular, broad comparison of strike movements on an international basis, as well as those treating more limited localities, show a tendency for the number of strikes to be very sensitive to changes in economic activity. The number of workers involved in strikes is sometimes taken as an indication of the extent of labour militancy, but the relationship between this measure and the level of economic activity is in general little more than haphazard. Even the most cursory examination suggests some connection between strikes in the motor industry and the output of vehicles.
