MANILA, Philippines -- The economic and industrial sectors are expected to close the year 2007 with only six strikes, “making the year one of most industrially favorable, harmonious, and peaceful years ever in the country's entire history,” Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said in a statement.

Citing the latest report of the Department of Labor and Employment’s National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), Brion said that strike incidence nationwide fell by 50 percent from 12 strikes from January 1 to Dec. 15, 2006 to six in the same period this year.

“Remarkably, the number of workers affected by strikes decreased to less than a thousand, translating into a 35 percent decline from the already low 1,415 workers affected by strikes in the same period last year, to only 915 from January 1 to December 15 this year,” he said.

Brion added that as a result of fewer strikes, an over two-thirds drop (72 percent) occurred from the 43,434 man-days lost from January 1 to December 15, 2006, to only 12,112 in the same period in 2007. (Man-days is the unit of measurement for productivity.)

Furthermore, Brion noted that 12 of the country’s 16 Regions have remained strike-free throughout most of 2007.

Brion attributed the “unprecedented industrial peace” to the department’s Three Plus Social Partnership program with labor, management, government agencies, local government units, non-government organizations, the academe, churches, civil society groups, among others.

He said his office would continue to strive for industrial peace so that it might translate into economic gain for the country.