Summaries
Obtaining real influence on information technology
A. van Asch and W. van Gelder
This paper is mainly concerned with the deve lopment of the trade union policy towards ob taining influence on new information technology. We look especially at recent, practical experien ces within the Dienstenbond FNV (Union of private service industry employees and FNV affdiated). These experiences are partly the result of a pilot-research project on training and supporting worker representatives in issues con cerning the introduction of information techno logy.
First we argue that training and direct support of trade union officials and union members have become more important. Second, we look at some major trends in developing new systems. In the third part of this paper we discuss some problems and constraints that trade unions (and work councils) have to deal with.
In the last part of this paper we describe a model of supporting worker representatives at the firm level, which is elaborated in the pilot-research. Furthermore we present in short some results.
Automation and job content in small and medium-sized companies
E. Poutsma and A. Zwaard
This contribution focuses on the effects of new technologies in small and medium-sized industrial enterprises. The study is based on a survey of 780 enterprises in different industries and three case-studies in Metal industry. The results show substantial differences in the degree of automa tion, related to the nature of the production processes and the structure within branches. In
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general it can be stated that the smaller the scale of enterprise and size of series of products, the greater the number of tasks and responsibilities on the part of the operator of computer con trolled machines. Furthermore, in small firms with variable series of production the machine- operators use to carry out program functions as well as tasks of optimalization, adjustment and quality-control. The number of different tasks depends also on the level of education and skills of the operator. One of the main findings is that new technologies leave room for organizational choices concerning the quality of work.
The introduction of CNC-machines in pro duction organizations
K. ten Have and B. Fruytier
This article is on the impact of different modes of organizing production around CNC-machines on the continuity of firms. Three cases are pre sented.
In the first case, a large metal firm, CNC-machines are introduced as one part of a much broader restructuring process. In the second case, also a large metal firm, a centralizing strategy is chosen. The existing line/staff structure is maintained. In the third case, a small but fast growing metal firm, CNC-machines are also used as just an in telligent conventional machine.
In the first case the quality of work is improved because, contrary to the second case, the loss of machine tasks is more than compensated for by new organizing tasks. In the third case, the in formal organization linked to a high quality of labour is maintained, although there is a ten dency to centralize.
It is concluded that the first firm has been able to change its prospects from bad to rather good. The second firm runs the risk of losing the battle. 90 Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken, jrg. 3, 1987/1
The third firm is forced to change its internal structure.
Finally the authors suggest that an integral or ganizational change, somewhat like the first firm, is needed in current market developments.
The gap between vocational training and education
H.A.A. Scholtz
The article presents the findings of a research project on the gap between the qualifications offered by regular vocational training and those required for the actual use of modern technolo gies in companies. The research was carried out at the request of the Joint Research Committee of the Socio-Economic Council of the Nether lands (COB/SER).
The content of some 1100 jobs of schoolleavers in industry, commerce and health organisations has been analysed and compared with the quali fications which the occupants acquired in their vocational training. The findings show a con siderable gap between the two. Several measures to improve this situation are suggested.
Furthermore the results show some indications toward the development of segmentation and polarisation in skill structure and of new forms of work organisation. The article ends with some remarks and speculations about the impact of these developments on job qualifications and industrial relations in general.
Bottlenecks on the market for practical training opportunities
F. van Puffelen
In the Netherlands schools for vocational educa tion have to find opportunities for practical training for their students by ‘begging’: enter prises are in no way obliged to offer these oppor tunities. Due to a considerable increase in the number of students and to the recent economic recession many schools hardly managed to find enough training opportunities. For this reason the Ministry of Education commissioned a re search project on this matter: Which factors determine demand and especially supply of practical training opportunities outside the schools? This article describes the main results
of this study which is based on interviewing a large sample of schools, students and business organizations.
Job creation programs in the Netherlands and Belgium
M. de Wachter and E. Visser
This article contains a comparative analysis of job creation policies pursued in France, Belgium, West-Germany, Great-Britain and the Nether lands. Striking conclusions are the high degree of congruency in the various policies and the low quality of research material available on this matter. An attempt is made to deduct some proposals that can be useful for tracing out an employment strategy for the future.
Labour mobility in times of mass unem ployment: wage competition or job com petition?
A.M.C. Vissers
The economic revival since 1984 has restored the interest of policy-makers in an efficient allo cation of labour. According to the influential neo-classical view of the labour market wage differentials play an important role in the allo cation of labour.
Recent research about labour mobility indicates that a majority of job changers was moving to wards jobs with higher wages during the period of 1980-1985. According to the wage competi tion theory it was expected that this labour mobility towards higher wages would have in creased since 1984. The research data actually indicate a sharp rise in the mobility rate in 1984 and 1985. But this rise was not in the direction of jobs with higher wages, as was expected. Further analysis points out that the increase of labour mobility in 1984-1985 was caused dis proportionately by recently mobile workers. More than a quarter of them was working with a temporary contract and more than a third was searching for a new job during the last year, in particular for a more permanent job.
The foregoing indicates that the increase in la bour mobility in 1984-1985 not so much has to be attributed to wage differentials as well as to the increase of temporary labour contracts in the loose labour market of 1984-1985.
