POSSIBLE REMEDIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 10 August 1942, Page 6

POSSIBLE REMEDIES

INDUSTRIAL DISCONTENT RESEARCH WORKER'S VIEWS "Without saying what the remedies arc, I will try to sTiow in what direction they lie. but I am very distinctly not an advocate. I am here as a critical observer, with an unprejudiced approach,'' said Dr. A. E. C. Hare. M.A.. Research Fellow in Social Relations in Industry, during a lecture at Victoria University College, when he dealt wilfi possible remedies for the problem of industrial discontent. "The causes of disputes may be classed under two main heads," he said, "namely, the disputes over the division of the product of industry, and those over the status of the worker. As the standard of living improves the question of the status of the worker gradually assumes greater and greater prominence. Both sid/s may seem to be disputing about the amount of wages, whereas in reality a large part of the workers' discontent is as much clue to his lack of status in industry as to questions of wages. “It is difficult to discuss publicly remedies for such a fundamental social question as industrial discontent, because people are so biased one way or the other and tend to turn everything that is said to a political purpose. But no remedy will ever be found unless the public will learn to discuss such questions in an atmosphere of reason. A great advance toward a solution would be made if more sane and dispassionate public discussions could be achieved. . . ‘ The employer’s view of the problem is that he wants efficient labour, but no labour which is fundamentally discontented with work is ever efficient, SO that the far-seeing employer a -

ways seeks ways and means to promote Ihc happiness of his workers. Many methods have been suggested to promote the interest of the worker in his work, but all methods which rely on payment by results, whether in the form of piece wages, bonus systems or profit-sharing, fail to remedy the root causes of discontent, inequalities ot wealth and status. All nations are moving in the direction of increased measures of social insurance giving greater security to the wage-earner and toward more steeply graded taxation. both of which tend to a more equal distribution of wealth. Means such as these may gradually contribute to a solution of the problem of discontent over the distribution of the product of industry. "For the problem of the status of the worker there is no simple solution. Measures to increase the workman s knowledge of his work in all its commercial and technical problems, to give him opportunities to take responsibility and exercise initiative and thus improve his status, measures to modify the discipline of the factory toward group self-discipline through mutual co-operation, all these, combined -with the best possible physical conditions at work, are the means by which improved status can be achieved. Our aim must be to seek to make every man feel that his work is both important and a pleasure ” _________