Piecework and Industrial Relations Problems in ‘Other Manufacturing’ in Northern Ireland
| Published date | 01 July 1990 |
| Date | 01 July 1990 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8543.1990.tb00368.x |
| Author | Brian Tipping |
British Journal
of
Industrial Relations
28:2
July
1990
0007-1080
$3.00
Piecework and Industrial Relations
Problems
in
'Other Manufacturing'
in
Northern Ireland
Brian
Tipping
*
There is a popularly held intuitive view that piecework payment systems
contribute to uneasy industrial relations. However, previous research that
has examined the relationship between piecework and strikes has been
inconclusive. Using data drawn from the survey of industrial relations in
Northern Ireland by the Labour Relations Agency (LRA), the relationships
between piecework and industrial action (including strikes) and the further
industrial relations indicators of absenteeism and labour turnover are
examined
in
SIC4 (other manufacturing) in Northern Ireland.
1.
INTRODUCTION
Payment systems that closely link production and
level
of
wages have been
considered to lead to uneasy industrial relations. Edwards
(1987),
in his
examination
of
the link between payment-by-results (PBR) systems and
strikes, has outlined some of the arguments in support of this intuitive view.
When PBR is present new rates are negotiated frequently, and these
negotiations may lead
to
stoppages. PBR may be regarded as an indication
of
loose management, which in turn may lead to industrial unrest. PBR is
also alleged
to
encourage shop-floor bargaining, custom and practice
arrangements and arguments over the measurement
of
effort. Additionally,
production-related systems tend towards complexity, which may lead to
frequent pay day disputes on the acccuracy
of
the calculations
of
wages
(Tipping and McCorry
1988).
However, in his examination
of
the empirical evidence, Edwards
(1987)
was unable to reveal any clear-cut link between PRB and strikes. His own
study, deploying a log-linear analysis
of
data from both the Warwick study of
1977
(Brown
1981)
and the WIRS survey of
1984
(Millward and Stevens
1986),
was also inconclusive on this relationship.
"Senior Research Officer,
Labour
Relations Agency, Belfast
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