On Thursday 15 October 2009, shirish शिरीष wrote: > in-line :- > > On Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 20:09, jtd <[email protected]> wrote: > > On Thursday 15 October 2009, Karthik Shanmugam wrote: > > <snipped> > > >> The biggest opposer of computerisation was the left trade unions - the > >> guys on the inside having fun at the expense of 70% of the populace > >> ekeing out an existence on the outside. > >> > >> The left trade unions! I remember during 70s one communist MP says, "In > >> a socialist society automation is boom" ... When I read about > >> implementation of railway reservation systems the people who were > >> AGAINST are bureaucrat NOT clerks. > > > > You have got that partly right or wrong. It wasnt only the bureaucrats, > > but also the rank and file in every organisation - banks, LIC, Railways, > > customs etc. BTW Mr. Rajiv Gandhi had a thorough understanding of IT tech > > and it's chance to play a pivotal role in our economy. > > > >> If it ONLY the left against computerization > > > > I will correct myself "The biggest opposer of computerisation was > > PRIMARILY the left trade unions. Though they were joined off and on by > > congress or independent unions. I sat thru several demonstrations in > > Calcutta, when party cadres would round up workers to attend the local > > nutcases protest meeting against computerization. > > Hi all, > Playing the devil's advocate here. > > While 'primarily' it may have been the left or not, there is also a > fact that many jobs which took 10 jobs to do now require only 1 or 2 > at the most. > > This is a fact, right. ? > > Now if 1 or 2 people are only having jobs which other 8 people also > did while it does bring efficiency but at what cost ?
Glad you asked the exact same question that was asked by many. There are almost no costs. You now produce 8 more widgets which not only absorbs the eight, but creates 80 more jobs. eg. Japan. Job losses due to increased efficiency happens when the efficiency is bought in to maintain profitability rather than increase market share, which points to a saturated or superceded market or (some sort of) incompetence. Those jobs are already in deep peril and the early exiters are the ones who actually have an opportunity to migrate to another part of the economy. eg USA. Another example. Train services between Thane-Vashi, had the auto drivers plying between Thane-Airoli worried about loss of livelyhood. One had to point out that there would be a massive rise in commuting within Airoli which would more that compensate. Same is the case with Konkan railways, resulting in a massive rise in road traffic in the konkan belt. There might be temporary dislocations indeed, but overall for an economy like ours every increase in efficiency results in hughe gains. -- Rgds JTD _______________________________________________ network mailing list [email protected] http://lists.fosscom.in/listinfo.cgi/network-fosscom.in
