NY Times Article on Fiat Worker Woes in Italy

[supplyguy]

Found this interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/busin ... 3fiat.html

[mdrburchette]

Very interesting. I don't think Italy is the only nation that needs to get their work ethics straight.

[narfire]

A story how employees contributed. Sawmills here were trying to improve efficency like most manufactures so the employees suggested staggered coffee breaks. In the past the mill lines shut down for 15 minutes twice a shift for coffee breaks-2-3 shifts/day. They decided half take a break and when they got back the other half went,not shutting the lines down,perhaps some slowed but nothing stopped. This gave the mill and extra 1/2 hour production/ shift X 3 shifts X 7 days X 52 weeks --- more production without added costs. It had a few screwups at times I was told but for the most part it worked.
I think perhaps more employees are understanding in this day and age, some consessions might provide a better chance of sustained employment.

[supplyguy]

In 1983 I toured the two Volvo factories in Sweden as part of a University of Maryland Europe management class (was a young soldier assigned to Germany then). The factory in Gothenburg was the old fashioned assembly line with each worker turning a wrench or installing one part over and over and over. The newly retooled (at that time) factory in Kalmar was state of the art, with vehicles shuttling around the plant on platforms that allowed teams to accelerate production and stage a batch for the next team, or let teams take a break and allow their workload to accumulate. Platforms rotated cars so workers didn't have to bend or stretch excessively, and workers were cross trained so they could plug and play in a variety of plant roles to enrich their jobs. It all looked to progressive we wanted to buy Volvo 760's on the spot! Fortunately as young sergeants that wasn't going to happen. Anyway, the Kalmar plant was a money loser, and in 1994 shut down completely. Guess there's no substitute for the assembly line.

[spidernut]

“He wants to impose American-style standards,” Nello Niglio, a factory worker, said of Mr. Marchionne’s requirements to work longer hours and cut back on absences. “But too much work is going to kill our workers.”

really??? dang...I should have been dead decades ago.