Dutch Experiment In Industry

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 22

Dutch Experiment In Industry

A bouyant economy and a strong demand for labour has brought the Dutch married woman into the industrial labour force. Her home duties have, however, been guarded by some interesting experiments in adjustment to working conditions.

The February issue of the Labour and Employment Gazette summarises an experiment by Philips in Eindhoven which shows it is possible to employ mothers—even mothers with young children—satisfactorily provided the conditions of their employment are sufficiently flexible. The scheme presented is suitable not only for the larger firm on the grounds of cost It would appear to be a worthwhile blueprint for any enterprising smaller firm intending to establish a labour-intensive type of industry in one of New Zealand's smaller communities.

Interesting features described by the firm's sociologist (Mr van de Does de Willebois) included special provisions such as a real allowance for a married woman's dual role; “split” part-time hours: each worker's individuality being acknowledged by providing her with her own assembly table, but her work organised as part of a group. The work of assembling hearing aids was selected as particularly suitable for women, being light, and requiring dexterity, care and precision. The production process included several distinct phases—mechanical assembly, electrical assembly, checking, packing and preparation for dispatch. The assembly lay-out could be organised in various ways —on the production belt, so; that each worker had one' short cycle of operations to perform, or in group work,! where each worker was responsible for a definite phase; of production comprising sev-j eral operations and use of I several tools. The latter method re-j quired a longer period of in-j duction and made greater de-' mands on the worker’s intelligence. Mr de Willebois said that. I from the employer's viewpoint, “the new method of organisation meant less waste.l fewer disruptions due to de-

lay. a rather larger output and a rather higher level of quality. Individual tempo and productivity remained the same: the improvements were due to better organisation and were obtained not by obliging the employees individually to work harder . . . but by providing a different setting, a more varied job content, greater responsibility and the possibility, within limits, of working regularly at one’s own preferred tempo.”