How does the traditional model of job control unionism conflict with the need for greater flexibility?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Traditional job control unionism conflicts with the need for greater flexibility in several ways. First, standardized wages tied to jobs rather than merit and ability-to-pay prevent wage flexibility and pay-for-performance. Detailed systems of narrow job classifications are a barrier to functional flexibility because it is difficult to reassign workers to different tasks in response to shifts in market demand. Restrictive work rules similarly limit functional flexibility and may also restrict employment flexibility through the use of part-time or temporary workers, subcontracting, or layoffs. Seniority-based procedures make it difficult to transfer and promote workers on the basis of skills and merit. Extensive bumping rights make frequent changes in deploying labor cumbersome. Lengthy contracts make it hard to achieve flexibility because changes cannot be made easily during the life of the contract. Reliance on past precedence in grievance decisions makes it hard to change processes and innovate. Finally, job control unionism encourages, rather than discourages, sharp divisions between labor and management that inhibit collaboration and decision-making based on shared common interests.