ning, production, marketing, sales, interpreting the Balance Sheet,
the workers’ representatives could contribute very little in the first
meeting. The reason for less participation in these technical mat-
ters was due to the lack of understanding of the issues involved.
Interview with the workers’ representatives showed that most of
them did not understand the A B C of the Balance Sheet such that
there was little debate on it. Also little was their contribution in
the other technical aspects like quality control. Thus the
management enjoyed a monopoly of knowledge in these fields.

In the second meeting, there was much improvement. The
workers’ representatives who had a seven days workers education
programme had a better understanding of their role as represen-
tatives. There was little distrust and suspicion between the
management and the workers. Furthermore, the workers’
representative instead of discussing only matters of social welfare
and personnel matters also actively participated in giving out ideas
on planning, production and marketing. Workers' representatives
came up with suggestions as to how to diversify markets for the
cloth they sell. They also gave useful suggestions as to how to get
cheaper places for buying the enterprise’s tools and machines. The
workers suggested means of improving productivity, particularly
of the workers in the Weaving Department who seemed not to
reach the target set for them. They thus suggested better in-
spection methods, incentive schemes and need for workers’
education. All these innovative ideas were endorsed by the
Workers’ Council as their decisions. Thus there was much change
in the degree of participation in the second meeting. However, in
spite of that improvement still some of the representatives did not
quite understand what they were supposed to do.

   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
 
  
 
 
  
  
   

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE
WORKERS’ COUNCIL

There can only be effective workers’ participation if the Board
of Directors does concede to the decisions of the Workers' Coun-
cil. This of course should not mean that everything the workers
council decides should be accepted by the Board, but that the
Board of Directors should not simply say ‘No’ to a Workers’
Council’s resolutions without giving cogent reasons. In the case of
Friendship Textile Mill, most of the decisions which were passed
in the Workers’ Council were accepted by the Board of Directors.

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