The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-03-28
Thousands of Workers IN
Net OF "Bedaux" System
by Ira Service)

tBY LIZA SefDlce)
Winning their strike against the
Bedaux efficiency system of wage
payment, 1900 textile workers al
the Ware Shoals Mfg. Co., Green,
vile, S. c., have gone back to work
Bosses promised that this particular
speed up plan would not be intro
duced at present.
But 10000 other workers are al
ready caught in the net of this sys-
tenn, according to the boast of
Charles E. BedauX in his booklet,
Bedaux Measures Labor. Why the
plan is driving form of speed up
may be understood from the effici-
ency experts explanation of this
method of payment.
200 Bosses Use 1t.
Bedaux, the French industrial en-
gineer for whom the plan is named,
came to America in order person
ally to supervise the introduction of
his scheme. He claims that the sys-
TEN now effective in more than
200 industrial plants, involving
over 100000 workers, at a saving
of more than $28,000,00O to the cor
porations. The Bedaux company is
internationally ganized with
branches in England, Germany, Italy
and Switzerland.
To introduce the speed up, cor
poration pays well for Bedaux SER
vices in view of the future saving
in wage costs. An expert arrives at
the plant, studies the workers speed
with a stop-watch in hand or by a
more secret method, and then re-
ports on the base rate of speed. This
is called the unit of human power
measurement, or "B."
Bonus System.
Put on a low base rate of pay
per hour, the worker is then forced
to strain to the utmost II order to
earn increased pay for his extra eff
fort. A premium is paid for all adj
ditional output. In order to break
the workers sense of solidarity by
setting one individual in competition
with another, the bosses then post a
daily sheet, showing the number Of
OBS" or units of work produced by
each man or woman the day before
and the amount of premium earned.
This is supposed to speed up the
worker by appealing to his pride
and spirit of competition.
"Tho day l worked hardest, I
earnest least" stated a candy work
err a; Schrafts' where the system
has been introduced i'm spite of the
workers resentment. Schraft candy
workers are still unorganized and
therefore unable to protest effec-
lively.
ave are supposed to do spread
of boxes in hours, at base rate
of 81 cents an hour. For all boxes
packed over that spread, we are paid
bonus of four different rates. in
creasing with the number of boxes
packed. The limit is $20.80 a week
A.. /. On Monday, only seven out OF
the "a girls in my department had
earned additional rates, ranging
from 5 cents to 80 cents"
To forestall the workers protest
against stop-watch time-studies, the
Bedaux system often includes "prac-
teal workmen employed in the de-
partment studied in order to facili-
tate understanding on the part of
all employees" These practical
workmen" are, of course, company
men placed among the workers as
tools to put the system over"
Workers have no way Of checking
up on this Bedaux system of pay
ment, and cannot tell whether or
when management is cheating them
out of pay. But one point about the
efficiency plan is perfectly clear to
everyone-the slower or older work
ers who, for one reason or another,
have been least well able to earn
the extra premium. are the first to
be laid off. SIN times Of low pro-
duction and lay off," boasts the eff
ficiency expert, "the better work.
men are retained"
The Bedaux system gives the
bosses this exact check on a work
er's speed and ability to stand the
pace. When the worker is used up
there are plenty more, say the ex-
perts, to take his place.
The prOirfnriau movement In
the seIf-c n SO "a y, Independent