Labor Standards and War Production

Abstract

M AXIMUM production for war cannot be achieved unless full consideration is given to the conditions under which the human factor in industry functions best. Sound labor standards were never more important than now if we are to maintain health and efficiency at a high level and to reduce to the lowest possible point time lost because of accidents, illness, strikes, and voluntary absenteeism. Flexibility in standards is needed, in order to overcome certain bottlenecks, in order to utilize substitute materials in place of scarce materials for safeguards, in order to use to the full the best capacities of every worker and potential worker. But there should be no relaxation of vigilance against -the known causes of lost time, fatigue, or inefficiency. We need to remind ourselves constantly of those standards which experience has shown contribute to increasing the output of both men and women-such things as safety and industrial hygiene standards, good lighting and ventilation of work places, rest periods, time and facilities for hot, nourishing meals, smoothly functioning collective bargaining and grievance procedures, proper hours schedules, and one day of rest in seven. Because of the large numbers of new workers, especially women and minors, who are being trained and inducted into industry, and because of the many novel hazards associated withwar industries -arising from the materials worked on, the processes, the machinery, and the urge for speed-special safeguards are often needed. Where women are to be employed for the first time, management must make provision for seating and rest rooms, for special protective clothing, and for special devices to prevent the necessity for women to lift heavy weights, and for hygienic measures to guard against such obvious dangers as lead poisoning to which women are particularly susceptible. Unless each establishment engaged in war production strives for the best possible working conditions, our flow of tanks, guns, ships, planes, and ammunition will be halting and uneven and will fall short of our potentialities. High labor turnover and waste in many forms will creep in. This we know from the peacetime experience of innumerable firms, from experience in the last war, and from the unfortunate results of too intensive production efforts in the summer of 1940 in England. What is needed is a generally accepted code of labor standards covering all phases of working conditions and employment. A significant step towards such a policy has recently been taken in respect to one phase-hours of work.