There's been a drop in the number of industrial disputes over the past year.
Statistics New Zealand says there were 18 work stoppages in the year to June 2009, compared with 30 stoppages in the previous year.
Five were complete strikes, compared with 17 in 2008.
Statistics NZ says more than 1500 people were off the job this year, costing $300,000 in wages.
That compares with more than 7000 people and $3.9 million in wages in the previous annual figures.
Stoppages this year were mainly in the manufacturing, retail and transport sectors.
Disputes were resolved in seven of the cases, while the rest went unresolved.
