Restructuring the Industrial Trades in Australia: the dark side of post‐Fordism

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Abstract
Debate concerning industrial restructuring in Australia has mainly focused upon the attributes of post‐Fordist as opposed to Fordist forms of work organisation. However, the Industrial trades, which are also undergoing restructuring, have not been adequately considered in this debate. This paper argues that an important characteristic of the industrial trades, both in terms of economic efficiency and the nonalienating character of the work, has been the integrity of the work culture. It further argues that, while this form of work organisation already provides a viable alternative to Fordism, it will be diminished by restructuring based upon post‐Fordist criterion. The paper concludes that underlying the debate about the qualities of post‐Fordism is a postmodern ideology of autonomy which encourages the disintegration of conventional forms of association and communication and, thus, is oblivious to the merits of the tradesperson cultural identity.