WORKERS’ CONTROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23500, 14 May 1938, Page 25

WORKERS’ CONTROL

QUESTION DEBATED RAILWAY W.E.A. CLASS “Workers’ Views on Workers’ Control ” formed the subject for the second meeting of the Railway W.E.A. class. The meeting opened with a short debate on the question whether workers have the capacity to exercise control by choosing their own leaders. On the negative side a member argued that the inclination would always be to choose the easygoing, popular fellow for a controlling position, regardless or efficiency. Then there would be dissatisfaction and constant changes. Against this a member related experiences among snowbound sheep. In a crisis of that kind the runholder would leave it to the workers to choose their natural leader, and they would do so without error. With experience the workers could be trusted to select leaders better than many who held high posts now. The tutor gave an account of discussions in Public Works camps, where the woi'kers in the co-operative gangs chose their leaders and haa some voice in the choosing of workmates. Through their leader they contracted to work at certain prices for a certain job. Most of the men favoured these co-operative contracts, under which payment to the team was in accordance with output, but among the men in a team there was equal division except for special rates for special skill or risks. But some favoured time payment, for idealistic reasons or otherwise. A big advantage of the co-operative system was that it gave the workers experience in questions of control. For instance, should a gang put up with an inefficient worker or get rid of him in order that the rest might get a bigger dividend? Might it not be better for the really inefficient worker to be compelled to seek other employment? This and similar questions had to be faced. The approach toward equality would probably be worked out by such teams in a natural way, by mutual consent and without going to the point of spoiling efficiency. The Workers, in such cases, could be relied upon to seek the most capable managers and technical experts as their leaders and controllers. The tutor then described the system of Works Councils established in England, under which joint committees of workers and management decided practically all matters of detail, whilst wage rates and hours of work were regulated by agreements between the companies and the unions. Of course, the measure of control exercised oy the workers under this English system was definitely limited, but valuable practice was being obtained for a further advance.