In post-1992 Europe, capital will tend to flow to areas of lowest unit output cost. Differences in the quality of labour-management relations, here proxied by strike activity, could be an important component of such costs. The performance of strike models for EC member states is examined, paying particular attention to the evidence for reaction equality to macroeconomic stimuli and for the existence of ‘strike waves’. Both hypotheses are rejected, meaning, firstly, that there is no justification for data-pooling but, secondly, that member states are free to pursue policies to improve their industrial relations environments without fear that they will be undermined by developments elsewhere.