Re-Casting the Occupational Culture in Steel: Some Implications of Changing from Crews to Teams in the UK Steel Industry

Abstract

Teamworking developments in the iron and steel industry potentially have far-reaching implications for steelworkers' occupational culture. The traditional seniority-based crew system is examined and is shown to have exerted a considerable influence in shaping the occupational culture in steel. Recent changes in work organisation are discussed, including the nature of teamworking developments at two steel plants. The authors conclude that the changes could further undermine the extant occupational culture in steel. At the same time, while management are looking to teamworking partly as a means to increase worker commitment, ironically the removal of crew hierarchies may entail the loss of a past source of moderation and cooperation among the steelworkers. Teamworking could even create a new basis of worker solidarity, absent when steelworkers were differently positioned within separate work crews.