- Capitalism and Alternatives -

'Workers Control' must be subordinate to job rotation

Posted by: Stoller on December 08, 1999 at 20:53:56:

In Reply to: Job Rotation or Workers Control? posted by Lark on December 08, 1999 at 14:23:06:


: Job Rotation is good because it means that since everyone is equally liable to the most disagreeable work that they will seek to reduce that work or make it less disagreeable, that is provided that they dont simply choose to idle about when it's their turn to clean the toilets and wait to get rotated out, but how would that work in with workers control?

: I think workers control, that is liberty in the workplace, is imperative, if we are going to return the ownership of peoples labour to them we must let them have a say in decision making etc.

Worker's control, if allowed to subordinate the principle of job rotation, could potentially re-create the very divisions of labor that engender hierarchy.

'Liberty in the workforce.' Nice phrase---but empty of content. You want liberty for all without ever considering the fact that positive liberties in many instances curtail negative liberties.

What do you say to those individuals who want the 'liberty' to do only the work they choose? Such as mental (skilled) work? If they get what they want, then there will be MORE physical (unskilled) work for everyone else.

The uniform liberty you advocate is utopian.

Some work sucks.

If anyone is EVER permitted to dodge their share of it (for the usual reasons), then hierarchy and privilege will inevitably emerge.

Again: freedom to, or freedom from?.




Follow Ups:

The Debating Room Post a Followup