THE DILUTION OF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2955, 15 December 1916, Page 26

THE DILUTION OF LABOUR

• WOMEN IN WORKSHOPS! ■ The opinion is-gaining ground that the introduction of women workers into engineering factories and the dilution of skilled by semi-skilled labour which has been necessary to increase the output of war material are destined to lead to' a revolution in workshop methods. 'Hie demonstration given that many of the processes which have hitherto been carried out only by men wHo have served a long apprenticeship can lie efficiently performed by men who have had only a few weeks months' training suggests the division of labour into many classes, ranging from the highly skilled workman who can undertake many difficult jobs (o the comparatively inefficient hand to whom only n lew simple tasks can ho entrusted. If it is clearly recognised by both capital and labour that for the purpose of after-tlie-war trading it is essential that output should bo increased In- the wholesale employment of semi-skilled workmen, then it should bo possible so to'modify the present rigid trade union rules as to grade workmen into many classes according lo their skill, and to fix a wnlo of wages satisfactory to all parties for each grade. There is no valid reason why such a scheme should not he carried out without undue friction, and it is obvious that if it could I 2 accomplished it would servo both nat'onal and individual interests. F the incentive of holier wages could h° offered to the hirrhly skilled workman without provoking a "down tools" attitude from his less ixifted fellows, the result shou'd be to raise the whole stan'lird of work in engineering sliops, with a corresponding improvement in the position of the worker and in the status of the industry, while leaving ample opportunity for that, dilution of skilled labour lacking which it will bo difficult to wago successfully a. camnaian for the extension of British engineering trade after the war.