Industrial Relations and Automation

Abstract

In industrial relations, "automation" is frequently used as a synonym for "displacement." More precisely de fined, automation can have various direct and immediate ef fects on jobs. It may eliminate jobs outright; it may elimi nate parts of several jobs; it may require new combinations of skills; and it may affect responsibility, working conditions, and the extent of worker control over rate of output. The im pact of these effects has varied greatly in the past decade, de pending on the nature of the work rules in the industry or the operation. Automation has been adopted most extensively in industries or operations which impose few barriers to reas signment of job duties—or in operations where collective bar gaining is rare. Where automation has encountered rigid job lines and other restrictive work rules, labor-management con flict has at times been intense. As automation becomes more flexible and economical, it may invade such areas to an increas ing degree. Labor and management and the government have adopted a variety of measures to prevent or alleviate displace ment and to study proposals for future bargaining.