U.S. Automation Problems

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 18

U.S. Automation Problems

Automation in the United States has affected “the so-called glamour industries of electronics” by far the most, according to the United States labour attache in New Zealand (Mr R. C. Schrader) at the Trades Hall yesterday. Mr Schrader, who is on an introductory visit to Christchurch and Dunedin, replied to questions put to him for 45 minutes at an informal meeting with Canterbury union leaders. However, automation had moved in on a considerable number of traditional industries, he said. Among these were chemicals, oil refining, rubber, automobile manufacture and steel. Mr Schrader said there were two schools of thought on disruptive influences. One was that automation eliminated certain types of work and traditional Jobs, but that it also opened up so many other avenues that it had not had a disastrous effect The other was that those whose

jobs were eliminated were least capable of being trained for something else. Automation would certainly grow in the United States, he said. All kinds of studies were being made to alleviate the displacement of workers that occurred. “But no-one has found Hie complete answer to it yet. People are groping with it. There is considerable co-operation among management, labour and the Government.” Mr Shrader said that it had been found that some persons who had been trained in other skills could be trained for computer operations. This had begur. to dispel some of the fears about displacement The Industries hit hard by job displacement through automation were those with large, unskilled labour forces.

Whether displaced labour could be trained again was still one of the problems that the Government was groping with under the National Development and Retraining Act Mr Schrader said that in 1962 re-training programmes had been started to combat or

to avert unemployment from automation. Some "of the programmes had produced good results and others had not been so successful. “Automation is still a contentious problem in the United States and one for which people are trying to find a solution.”

Mr Sphrader said that a great population increase was entering the American labour market. Between 1946 and 1959, there had been 56 million births in the United States. One-third of the United States population was not even alive at the end of the Second World War and that; had put a strain on employment But as the population was increasing, so was consumption. One union leader asked Mr Schrader if some persons in the United States were better off on the dole than they would be in regular employment

Mr Schrader replied that he did not think any significant number of people in the United States who would choose to. be on the dole rather than to be gainfully employed.

“You hear this argument a

lot,” he said. “But it is often from people who oppose further Government involvement in welfare areas.” Mr Schrader said that New Zealand had much to teach the United States in its collective bargaining for wages and conditions and in its social security.

He said that in some 18 to 20 states where compulsory unionism membership could not be written into contracts, the prohibition of union membership usually went hand-in-hand with low wages.