GGR328H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Labor Market Segmentation, Post-Fordism, Blue-Collar Worker
11 May 2018
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Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017
GGR328H1
LECTURE 6
RISK AND PRECARITY IN THE LABOUR MARKET
How were labour markets organized under Fordism?
• Two main segments
• PRIMARY SECTOR: made up of primary independent segment (management)- white
collar, salaried, credentials, well paid, secure
• PRIMARY SUBORDINATE (production workers): blue collar, unionized
• Dominant principles of labour market are seniority and job demarcation
• Seniority limits entry to firm to lowest grades and determines wage rates, promotion
• Job demarcation provides structure
Advantages for Labour:
• Stability
• Dignity/fairness
• Reduced competition between employees
Advantages for Management:
• Locks workers into firm
• Taylorism means promotion on the basis of seniority rather than merit is not a problem
• Obedience and discipline more important than intellect and initiative
• remarkable stability in primary sector
SECONDARY SECTOR:
• Smaller and non-union
• hired and fired according to competitive conditions
• governed by specific labour-management arrangements
Labour Markets in Post-Fordism, Toward the Flexible Firm:
• Basis for labour market segmentation changing
• Vertical disintegration
• Search for flexibility in labour market
John Atkinson (Institute for Manpower Studies in U.K):
The Flexible Model
• Core: full time, permanent, skilled, security
• First peripheral group: full time, but less security and career opportunities
• Second peripheral group: part-time, job sharing
• External groups: use of subcontractors, temporary help agencies
Dividing firm into these segments achieves a different type of flexibility:
a) functional flexibility
b) numerical flexibility
c) financial flexibility
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Document Summary
Advantages for labour: stability, dignity/fairness, reduced competition between employees. Advantages for management: locks workers into firm, taylorism means promotion on the basis of seniority rather than merit is not a problem, obedience and discipline more important than intellect and initiative remarkable stability in primary sector. Secondary sector: smaller and non-union, hired and fired according to competitive conditions, governed by specific labour-management arrangements. Labour markets in post-fordism, toward the flexible firm: basis for labour market segmentation changing, vertical disintegration, search for flexibility in labour market. John atkinson (institute for manpower studies in u. k): The flexible model: core: full time, permanent, skilled, security, first peripheral group: full time, but less security and career opportunities, second peripheral group: part-time, job sharing, external groups: use of subcontractors, temporary help agencies. Dividing firm into these segments achieves a different type of flexibility: functional flexibility, numerical flexibility, financial flexibility. Numerical and financial flexibility associated with periphery.
