Is accident frequency a reliable indicator of industrial conflict?

Abstract

This article presents the results of research into the relationship of labour turnover, absenteeism and accident frequency to organised manifestations of industrial conflict in a New Zealand industrial environment. It supports previous research findings of an additive relationship between labour turnover and absenteeism and lost time due to industrial disputes. However, an inverse relationship is found between accident frequency and the other three expressions of conflict. A possible reason for this anomaly is proposed.