Workers' Control and Workers' "Participation"; Consciousness and Relations of Production

Abstract

Because of the rising militancy of the working class and its increased dissatisfaction with dull, stultifying jobs, the capitalist class is experimenting with attempts to "humanize" the workplace while maintaining the same hierarchy and property relations. This attempt at workers' "participation," not to be confused with workers' control, is designed to provide a more congenial work atmosphere, the illusion of more input from the workers, and the higher profits of a more efficient production unit. The implementation of "humanized workplaces" has received much attention in the case of a few of Volvo's automobile manufacturing plants in Sweden, but little has been said about the experience in the United States. An article entitled "Stonewalling Plant Democracy" in the March 28, 1977, issue of Business Week provides some insight into the American experience with workers' "participation" and why so little of the experience has been related through the news media.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.