Synopsis: Communication
For Productivity
Letters written to some
7500 Workers / Managers / Union Leaders, following a period of strike / Go
slow / Murders (1979 - 1987), at Mumbai factory of Larsen & Toubro Ltd.
This direct / open / honest communication led to a remarkable
atmosphere of trust between Workers and Management, which, in turn,
increased productivity at 3% per year (ave).
|
15 Dec 1986
To:
Dear Friends
Sun Rises in
the West
To improve
employment situation, the
French Government finally did
something!
In January
1986, it passed a law,
which
gave companies right
to introduce flexible working hours,
if they
would
reduce average work-week from 39
hours to 38 hours!
So in one stroke, French Government expects to achieve TWO results,
RESULT NO. 6
·
Increase employment
opportunity by decreasing working hours.
RESULT
No. 7
·
Increase productivity
of labour-force by
giving managements flexibility.
French
Company MERLIN-GERIN did not lose time.
·
It
rescheduled work-time.
·
It introduced
round-the-clock, six-days-a-week, working
in factory.
1984 —> 62
Hours/Week.
1986 —> 102
Hours/week
French
Government also found out something else!
Hundreds 'of
Companies were applying
for "laying-off" workers - because
they had
no work to give
to their workers.
But
In 13% of the
cases, the labour-inspector
was refusing permission (in Bombay,'
what is this percentage?
Will the Labour Commissioner, please
enlighten!).
So,
The
Government passed a new law and removed
the power of the labour-inspector to refuse lay-off!——
The
Germans were red in the face! The French
had taken the lead !!
Not to be
out-foxed, the German Government sprang a
surprise. It passed a new law,
Which allows .companies
to hire workers on "Contract" of upto 18 months.
When contract ends, companies can lay-off the workers !!
How did the german
Industry react?
Here are two
examples:
( a )
West German Metal
Industry reduced work-week from an
average of 40
hours/week to 38.5
hours/week without reducing pay!
( b ) German
car-manufacturer VOLKSWAGEN,
·
In 1982/83,
froze recruitment for 18 months
·
In 1984/85,
hired 19000 workers.
·
In
1986, plans to add 10000 workers.
·
NET RESULT
NO. 8
·
19 European
(OECD) countries are expected to create 800,000 jobs in 19861 -
best performance since 1979.
Question ;
How did this reversal become possible?
Answer :
Through
a realisation on the part of
the workmen - and the Unions - that
if JOBS are to be saved, two
things must happen :
Example
Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers (AUEW) has 10 lakh members in Britain.
For
creating a mere 500 jobs, it recently agreed to NISSAN
MOTOR CO. (of Japan) - who wants
to start a factory in
Britain - to
wipe-out restrictive work-rules.
This is the same
Union, which prevented closing of
british LEYLAND -
a car company
- and saved thousands of- jobs,
by co-operating with
the Management
and removing
restrictive work-rules (rigid
job-classifications).
And before I
go on to tell you what is the SECOND
thing that must happen in order
to create jobs, I would
like you
to take a look
at some of
the restrictive work-practices existing in our own POWAI
FACTORY right now !!
1. Getting ready to leave as early as an hour before actual closing time.
2. Breaking for
lunch earlier than the scheduled time and leaving the place of work for
canteen earlier.
3. Collecting of funds for different purposes
during working hours.
4. Spending time
for planning and purchase of
material for pujas, felicitations, etc.
5. Punching cards before changing into uniforms.
6. Tendency to waste time at the start and end of the shift and also
before and after tea/lunch recess.
7. Extended tea breaks.
8. Visiting
dispensaries for very minor non-industrial ailments which can be treated
during non-working hours.
9. Employees gathering in groups and
chit-chatting for long durations.
10. "This is not my job" attitude.
Those of you
who think the list is incomplete, please do write to me!
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