- McJobs and Workers -

Skill is not a quantified amount of time

Posted by: Quincunx ( IWW ) on August 21, 1998 at 10:50:08:

In Reply to: definition of skill posted by C.Morgan on August 16, 1998 at 21:03:47:

CM: I define skill as the amount of time it takes to train a person to do whatever job is in question. A doctor needs years of schooling and practical just to begin a practice. Thus doctors and other highly educated people are well compensated. The same holds true for jobs that require a great deal of training on the jobsite. How long does it take to train the average person to work in a fast food kitchen? A week? Two?

Qx: Oh well, you're playing silly buggers with the corporate newspeak again by defining a training period as a skill. If smeone graduates from hitgh school and flips burgers for a living do you ascribe to them the status of a "level 12 burger flipper"? Does that really define someone's skill level realistically ? I don't think so.

CM: As well the amount a person is worth depends on how easy it is to find a person to fill the job. What does it take to qualify for a fast food worker? (Or a postie) As far as I can see, unless you are greatly handicapped, anybody is at least qualified to apply.

Qx: So your definition of skill is as trashable as your estimation of other human beings and what you feel their relative worth is to human society goes by the blurry standards of contemaporary management theory.

CM: If a person thinks they deserve more money, or status and such, they should look at their own position.

Qx: They should also look at how management and the executive level live off of their labours and critically look at the tactics that are used to keep workers in their places.

CM: A person's worth in a business id dependant on how much trouble it would take to replace them.

Qx: So other hunan beings are just problems and not anything more than your uni-dimensional description eh?

CM: If a person wants more, instead of crying for better conditions, perhaps they should improve themselves.

Qx: They can improve themselves by abandoning the false notions of "rugged individualism" which is used by management types to discourage critical enquiry and discussion amongst workers who might happen to see a collective motive for improving their lot in life.




Follow Ups:

None.

The Debating Room Post a Followup