Such a scheme would have very real benefits, though its
detailed implementation would obviously be difficult. It would
pressure every organisation and institution to work to agreed
schedules and dates, and indeed, in time, ways could be found to
force these schedules to be tightened. It would furthermore give
every institution a very real incentive to maintain clear and ac-
cessible records since any ‘claim’ that could not be refuted by the
presentation of appropriate documents would be lost by default.

There is no doubt that any such arrangement will in the end fail
if there are not sufficient people and institutions to support them
actively, but it could be argued that the system itself should create
groups that have an interest to make it work. Indeed, in the final
analysis this must extend to the less mechanical tasks of ministries
and other institutions. It is clear that Devplan's major task
emanating from the second plan was the development of a long-
term industrial strategy. It is also clear that its failure to do so four
years after the commencement of the plan has been very serious.
It is finally clear that some people are ‘responsible’ for these
failures and it is necessary to institute machinery, through TANU,
which assesses and evaluates the work of Government in-
stitutions.

This paper has described opportunities of engaging workers in a
constructive political debate and in a political process which not
only would have given scope and content to the concept of
workers participation in an industry, but also would have begun to
make the planning process accountable to those whom it should
serve. Unfortunately none of these opportunities were utilised,
either through the mechanisms suggested here or in any other
way. The dispute was dealt with like any other dispute: the
‘worker’ were treated as ‘workers’, which meant as people who
make selfish demands and who must be appeased or lectured and
intimidated; the managers were treated as managers, which meant
as the people who are ‘responsible’ for production, profits and the
workers; the Government behaved like the Government, which
meant it concerned itself with keeping things quiet.

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