Toyota's Perma-Temp Slaves

[Taro Toporific]

Permanent Job Proves An Elusive Dream
Washington Post (vile regristration required) Monday, October 11, 2004; Page A01
...among the ranks of what economists call the "contingent" workforce, the vast and growing pool of workers tenuously employed in jobs that once were stable enough to support a family. In a single generation, "contingent employment arrangements" have begun to transform the world of work, not only for temp workers, but also for those in traditional jobs who are competing with a tier of employees receiving lower pay and few, if any, benefits...<snip>...Hicks has spent four years as a temp worker building cars for Toyota Motor Corp., making manifolds and dashboards for Camrys, Avalons and Solaras sold all over the United States. He works alongside full-fledged Toyota employees who earn twice his salary, plus health and retirement benefits...
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Toyota Taken to Task?Fool.com / by Rich Smith -- Oct 12
...The perma-temp phenomenon may save corporations money in the short term (on benefits, severance packages, and like expenses), but as an investor, it's also worth considering the side effects...
....However, the growing phenomenon of creating two classes of workers -- the valued and well-paid full-time employees and the underpaid, benefit-less, and at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day perma-temps -- undermines those goals.

[plaid_knight]

We are gradually working our way back to the start of the Industrial Revolution, where the workers had no rights and could be fired at anytime for any reason. If there are any jobs around in the first place ...

Things will only get worse in the future when walking, talking robots are around.

[Captain Japan]

....However, the growing phenomenon of creating two classes of workers -- the valued and well-paid full-time employees and the underpaid, benefit-less, and at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day perma-temps.

In my office, the latter class is referred to as "OLs."

[Skankster]

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Although this article points out the situation in the US...
it is going to be the root to much economic hurt upcoming in Japan... just wait and see...

no bonuses
100,000,000 people not paying pension tax (not detucted from salary).
loss of surplus cash
reduction of consumption
no consumption - crash of industrial markets.

But for now it is the surfboard that Koizumi rides...

[Skankster]

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....However, the growing phenomenon of creating two classes of workers -- the valued and well-paid full-time employees and the underpaid, benefit-less, and at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day perma-temps.

In my office, the latter class is referred to as "OLs."

although frequently these days the OL's are temp staff
they used to be perm employees. With bonuses and all the perks cept opportunity for advancedment.

one other diff is that in Japan it is not really "at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day".

[dingosatemybaby]

....However, the growing phenomenon of creating two classes of workers -- the valued and well-paid full-time employees and the underpaid, benefit-less, and at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day perma-temps.

In my office, the latter class is referred to as "OLs."

Indeed. I don't have the stats in front of me, but over 25% of Japanese full-time workers work for temp agencies, and it seems like most of these are female clerical workers. Well, on the plus side, Japan has national health insurance, so the benefits issue isn't as critical as in the US, and I'd like to think temp workers are able to avoid the "annihilation of the self" that seems to be demanded of career-track workers. It's insane: I was just talking to a graphic designer friend who spends 12-hour-plus days staring at a computer moniter, gets blinding headaches as a result, and doesn't get overtime because "the publishing business in a severe condition," her boss tells her. But she feels like she has no choice but to "Suck it up, punk," as Col. Potter says in that classic episode of MASH.

[Captain Japan]

one other diff is that in Japan it is not really "at-risk-of-layoff-on-any-given-day".

We stopped hiring women full-time a while back. Most of our temps are on 6-month cycles. The any-given-day figure is certainly an exaggeration but I don't think anyone woman here thinks she's going to be around for the long haul. I don't think she really cares either; OL jobs are nearly identical from office to office.