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extremely uncoordinated complex of divergent employer policies, each
presumably designed to offer some rival attraction to labour against
the inducements of other firms. But again there are substantial
reservations to be made.
40.
The typical employer answer to the question: "How are wages
and salaries fixed" is some variant of "we have to pay the going rate,
which is determined by labour and product market conditions". But this
begs the question of how "the going rate" itself emerges, suggesting
that each employer adjusts wages simply to correct deficiencies or
surpluses of the particular kind of labour he requires. Again, there are
cases where the immediate labour supply situation is the major pressure
on particular firms. But this does not appear to be the general
situation, By and large, "the going rate" (or rather, the typical annual
adjustment to wages) seems to emerge as a process, not quite of
collusion, but certainly of interchange and mutual understanding
between employers.
५१ वर
In
First, it has already been noted that collective organisation
amongst employers (though not necessarily as employers' associations proper) is considerably more comprehensive than amongst workers.
all those with which we held discussions, there was some procedure
(such as a special labour committee) to consider labour problems, and
it was generally accepted that this included at least an "exchange of views" on wages, though only the Employers' Federation itself gave
formal advice to members on request. At the level of individual
industries, such as the utilities and spinning, it was evident that
the "exchange" included some more-or-less firm understanding on wage
policy for the next round of adjustment, if not an attempt to determine
the latter's amount.
....