IS THE PUBLIC SECTOR STRIKE PRONE?

The differentials between public and private sector strike activity in the UK are examined. The empirical evidence reveals that the apparent greater propensity for strike action in the public sector is largely due to the characteristics of public sector establishments, which tend to be larger, more highly unionized, and face less competitive product market conditions. The differentials between the sectors are very different for manual and non-manual workers. For manual workers the estimated differential in 1980 is roughly zero, while in 1984 a public sector establishment is 37% more likely to have had a strike than a comparable private sector one at the mean without control for product market conditions. It is 21% more likely than a comparable private sector establishment facing few competitors in the product market and not statistically significant. The pattern for non-manual workers is strikingly different.