The New Workers

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Major Classes in
Industrial Sector

Owners or Entrepreneurs
Managers
Working Class
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Workers
Traditional Industrial Workers




New Technology and New Workers



Call Center Agents or BPO Workers




Workers in Urban Informal Sector




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A major focus of discussion in recent years
among sociologist has been the consequences of
process applications of microelectronics.
Examples of applications of microelectronics
automated guided vehicle systems (AGVS),
automated storage / retrieval systems
(AS/RS),
computer numerical control (CNC)
machines,
computer-aided design and manufacturing
(CAD/CAM),
industrial robots, computer aided process
planning (CAPP),
manufacturing automation protocol (MAP),
and similar innovations etc..
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Transformation
Application of microelectronics in the
production process
have transformed the traditional
assembly-line production process
to flexible manufacturing systems
(FMS) based on the principle of
just-in-time (JIT),
continuous improvement, and
zero defect.

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Moving assembly line at Ford Motor
Company's Michigan plant, 1908
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New Technology and Modern
Management
The traditional model of Fordism,
which was based on assembly-line, mass
production, is giving way to the new
model of Toyotism which is based on
lean and mean methods, using
techniques such as JIT, zero inventory,
and zero defect
The Just-in-Time inventory system :
the right material, at the right time, at
the right place, and in exact amount
The storage of unused inventory is a
waste of resources.
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new technology and modern
management
Lean production welds the activities
of top management to line workers
and suppliers into a integrated
whole that can respond almost
instantly to marketing demands
from customers
A very major part of activities in
modern organisations, is based on
convergence and application of
computer and communication
technologies.

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Flexibility is key characteristic of
modern business and industry

Three different aspects of flexibility
Functional flexibility the ease with which
tasks performed by workers can be
adjusted to meet changes in technology,
market etc
Numerical flexibility the ease with which
the number of workers can be adjusted
Financial flexibility the extent to which
the structure of pay encourages numerical
and functional flexibility.
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Occupational Structure and Skills
A holistic approach with reduced division of
labour is being found to be more efficient
than traditional Tayloristic rationalisation
patterns
A mushroom-shaped organizational profile in
which a small number of managers direct a
much larger number of engineers supported
by a much small number of technicians and a
diminishing number of other ranks seem to
be replacing the traditional pyramidal
structure.
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Occupational Structure

Engineers etc.
Workers
Managers
MANAGERS

ENGINEERS
TECHNICIANS
OTHERS
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The New Worker
The new technology calls for a new worker, who
possesses not only greater technical knowledge but
greater adoptability to new situations, a capacity for
team work, rather than physical strength and
individual work ability
The traditional three-tire categories of unskilled, semi-
skilled, and skilled are being replaced by the less skilled
and high skilled categories
Skills often have a short life cycle, to update skills
becomes critical for survival
Demand for services such as fast food, day care for
children, home cleaners, and nursing homes is
expected to go up, giving way to flexi time, as more
and more women join the labour force.
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Quality of Work Life
While the new worker would be better skilled
and would be performing a larger job, his
wages may not always be correspondingly
enhanced
While the worker receives less direct
supervision and thus enjoys greater autonomy
in the traditional sense, greater control is
imposed on him by the machines, which
immediately reduces the area of his freedom
While new technology creates a cleaner work
environment by reducing the level of dust,
dirt, noise, and physical strains, it seems to
increase mental and psychological stress of
the worker.
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Employment
Despite steady improvement in the world
economy the 1990s and beyond has been
termed as jobless growth
In the Indian context there is a wide gap
between growth in population and growth rate
of employment
Labour saving technological changes have
taken place in all branches of Indian industries.
Employment is declining also in the older
industries where technological change have
been delayed or slow
New technology takes away as well as provides
employment.
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Subcontracting
In response to technological changes ,
organisations have been developing a two-
tier segmented labour force -
a group of flexible and multiskilled workers
as permanent core sector workers
workers hired on contractual and temporary
basis exist at the periphery
more and more jobs will be removed from the
core sector to the peripheral sector
In India a large number of small units have
come up during the recent years, which are
not in a position to compete with the large
units. These small units produce for the use
of large units, and the latter find it
economical.

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The Indian Scenario

Technological changes have been strongly
resisted by trade unions in India
There was an agreement on no-retrenchment
on account of technological change and
structural reforms with a human face was
agreed upon
The recent changes have nearly threatened
the very foundation of trade unions
A new cooperative bargaining model based
on continuous problem-solving approach
rather than the conflict model may be
required in the context of new technology..
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