A trade union perspective on AMT

Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) members often observe that poor design not only makes their work unnecessarily difficult, it also cuts into company profits. Sadly, mistakes 'scientific management' was intended to rectify 60 years ago are still being made in British manufacturing today, with consequences - especially for health and safety - that the trade union movement cannot accept. The introduction of the microprocessor, and of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), have not always seen a comparable improvement in the design of tools or the workplace. Too often, lessons which should have been learned with the old technology are having to be learned all over again with the new. This points to the lack of a healthy management tradition in which lessons can be passed from one generation to another. One issue which is high-lighting this is repetitive stress injury (or occupationally-related musculo-skeletal disorders). The AEU is committed to the training and re-training of its members, and is convinced that this is part of the key to the successful introduction of AMT. Workers used to the physical disciplines of an older generation of technology will need re-training to make the most of the new. If this is to be done effectively, the employee's interest in having a satisfying and interesting job should be accepted as an ergonomic aim at least as important as the efficient use of time and space. In the past, workers and their unions have not been allowed a significant input in the decisions about their own workplaces and jobs. This has had two serious effects: design has been worse for it, and trade unions have not paid the attention to ergonomics they should have done, but have concentrated on other matters which they could influence. It is important for Britain's economic future that we listen to the voice of the workers.