The future of work

Abstract

The changing nature of the workforce, above all the increased and welcome participation of women, means that in commemorating the 1944 White Paper we cannot look backward. We must look forward to a labour market where genuine flexibility brings benefits for workers and employers alike and where, by moving up-market, not down-market, competition results. The author believes that full employment is desirable and possible. Technology and global competition have to be taken into account but global competition is not new, as the Lancashire cotton workers would have testified at any time over the past 150 years. The most dangerous fallacy of all is to believe that the amount of work is fixed - the so-called lump of labour fallacy. Adopting this view leads into the mire of zero-sum choices, putting male against female workers, part-timers against full-timers, white against black, and rich developed OECD countries against the developing countries. A way back to full employment will involve a combination of competitive success and excellence in productive industries. It will require difficult choices by government, employers and trade unions to ensure that the employment created will not be destroyed by the ravages of inflation. It will require difficult choices to develop a bargaining agenda that puts training and equal opportunities at the top of the list. It will require a service sector - both public and private - that puts a high value on personal service. There is a discussion on pp 30-33. -from Author