WORKER PARTICIPATION IN MANAGEMENT.

New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 473, 16 July 1948, Page 22

WORKER PARTICIPATION IN MANAGEMENT.

Sir,-Ignorance of the points involved among the speakers concerned might be a humble employee’s assessment of the "Worker Particination in Management" broadcast from 2YA on Monday night. No speaker while I listened gave any indication that he realised that the employees want to share with managements and owners responsibilities and profits as an absolute right, not as a generous concession to some vague humanitarianism mingled with expediency.

After some 20 years’ experience in industry where so-called co-partnership has obtained, I ais convinced that progress toward improved industrial relationships will be slow until most employers and many employees realise that the "interest of the owner" is the kernel; incentive payments, etc., merely hover around the husiof the problem, Without the "interest of an owner"? employees are merely puppets dancing on the narrow stage presented to the restricted vision of the businessmen who control the strings-employees always asking, begging, demanding; employers always opposing vigorously and then giving way grudgingly as they complain about the excessive interference their attitude makes inevitable. When a professional man requires assistance in his gfowing enterprise he does not string a puppet; he invites a partner to join him. Could not the foundations be laid to-day so that the industrial structure of to-morrow might grow gradually realising that man’s natural ‘right to ownership? Or shall wet just muddle on into Communism?

URIAH

(Hamilton).