>>>jim wrote:
>>>
>>> >Has anyone seen any study indicating that temp and part-time employment,
>>> >speed-ups and stretch-outs, longer hours, forced overtime and other modes
>>> >of extracting absolute surplus value themselves increase or multiply
>>>during
>>> >or after industrial restructuring of various kinds that aims to lower
>>>unit
>>> >labor costs.
>>there is one study, recently undertaken by the Australian Centre for
>>Industrial Relations Reaserch (ACIRR), (at Sydney University) Paper no. 21.
>>It apprently shows (and I haven't read it yet) the increase in hours worked
>>by Australian workers, alongside inrceases in productivity.
>>Definately in transport there has been an emphasis on cutting down time
>>spend not actually driving/transporting. This has occured via changing
>>timetables so that less time is spent at either terminuses, and less people
>>are 'on call' in the depot, cutting down dead time. Machinisation has
>>replaced other workers. THat's extra relative s-v.
>>After the maritime dispute, apparently crane rates have been improved at one
>>dock in Melbourne becasue movements per hour have been linked to a pay bonus
>>- a form of basic wage plus piece rates. Whether or not the extra pay bonus
>>leaves enough for extra relative s-v for the company I don't know - it might
>>be more about throughput and attracting more market share in a long term
>>kind of way than a short term profit maximising move in itself (although the
>>workforce has been reduced in terms of overall numbers). If you want to know
>>about the dispute or the aftermath of the dispute, see Patrick's Stevedores
>>home page (www.patricks) or the Maritime Union of Australia's page.
>>Absolute s-v is being extracted, specifically after the recession of 1990-1
>>in Aust. bu exempting certain things out of minimum wages and conditions
>>agreements (the Awards). THings like spread of hours are going to be
>>exempted from the 'allowable matters' (working conditions that can be
>>codified in industrial law). At the monment there are limits to breaks
>>between shifts, what sort of hours shifts can rotate to, hours worked
>>before a tea break. But in practice, although these agreements are in place,
>>alot of people work overtime, don't take their tea breaks, eat aat their
>>desk at lunchtime (the office workers) etc.
>>Total hours worked by the average person is a crude guide to ab. s-v. I'll
>>try and get this report and put it on the list.
>>>
>>>I can't recall any such research offhand, but there is certainly enough
>>>the question is really one of the changes in the proportions b/n necessary
>>>and surplus labour, and the historical reasons for why they have
>>>accompanied
>>>eachother in a way that they didn't, say in australia after WW2.
>>This is a hard question to answer. certianly at some stage workers were no
>>longer allowed to 'slack off' at all. Down time has been a big focus of
>>employers. THis means you cannot sit idle for one minute at work - i'm
>>thining here specificcally of retail where they make you clean the scales or
>>stack the shelves if the checkouts are quiet, or tying wage to outpout -
>>piece work, sales, etc. There are all these supervisors prowling round,
>>whose only job is to ensure surveillance and extraction of rel. s-v and
>>absolute s-v as well ("can you stay on for anotehr 15 minutes for me?")
>>hazel
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